MADRID (Reuters) – The heavy blizzard of the Filomena storm left hundreds of drivers trapped in their cars on Friday due to road closures and the closure of Madrid airport.
The M-30 and M-40 highways near Madrid are among more than 400 roads affected by snow, traffic officials said. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel.
Some drivers were stuck in their vehicles in Madrid, unable to move due to icy roads.
“I drove to see my husband at the hospital and I was stuck here for three hours. It is a trip that should take 15 minutes, ”a woman in her car told Spanish RNE television.
The Red Cross brought food to truck drivers arrested on the A4 in Madrid.
“Due to adverse weather conditions, flights are being diverted from Madrid Barajas airport. Consult your airline to find out the status of your flight, ”said Aena, who controls the country’s airports, in a tweet.
The Real Madrid football team, which went to Pamplona for a match against La Liga rival Osasuna, was waiting on a plane for more than two hours at Madrid airport.
With snow forecast of up to 20 cm (8 inches) in 24 hours and temperatures around zero centigrade, the southern Madrid region was at its highest alert level for the first time since the system was created in 2007.
Large parks in the capital, including the Retiro next to the Prado Museum, were closed as a precaution.
“I came to see and enjoy the snow. There is very little to do today (because of the pandemic), ”said Juan Jose, 24, marketing executive, outside Parque Retiro.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia have been suspended.
A record temperature of -35.6ºC was recorded in Vega de Lourdes, in Leão, northern Spain, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
Military Emergency Unit troops were helping to clear roads and infrastructure across the country, the Ministry of Defense said.
“We might have to go back to the February 1984 or March 1971 blizzard to find similar precedents if the predictions we hope are correct,” said Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for Aemet.
Reporting by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, edited by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio and Sonya Hepinstall