(Newser)
– An unusual and persistent blizzard that the mayor of Madrid calls “the worst storm in 80 years” covered large parts of Spain with snow, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or at stations and airports that had suspended all services as the snow continued to fall on Saturday. The capital and other parts of central Spain have for the first time activated a red weather alert, the largest, and called in the army to rescue people from vehicles trapped in everything from small roads to the main roads of the city, according to AP. The national weather agency AEMET has warned that some regions will receive more than 24 hours of continuous snow due to the strange combination of a stagnant cold air mass over the Iberian Peninsula and the arrival of the warmer storm Filomena in the south. AEMET said up to 8 inches of snow could accumulate in large parts of the country, but the accumulation reached over 19 inches, even in urban areas.
Carlos Novillo, head of the Madrid emergency agency, said more than 1,000 vehicles were trapped. “The situation remains … high risk. This is a very complex phenomenon and a critical situation,” Novillo posted on social media on Saturday morning. “We ask all those who remain trapped to be patient, we will reach you.” The AENA airport operator said that Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport, the main gateway to and from the country, will remain closed all day after the blizzard defeated cars and workers trying to keep the runways clear of snow. All trains to and from Madrid, as well as the railway lines between the south and northeast of the country, have been suspended, said the Renfe railway operator. The storm is expected to move northeast throughout Saturday, AEMET said.
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