MADRID (Reuters) – Heavy snow from storm Filomena left thousands of Spanish drivers trapped in cars on Friday as roads were blocked and Madrid airport was closed.
The M-30 and M-40 motorways near Madrid were on more than 400 roads where snow prevented vehicles, traffic officials said. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel due to the extremely unusual blizzard.
“I drove to the hospital and was stuck here for three hours. It is a journey that should take 15 minutes, “a woman told Spanish television station RNE in her car.
Meteorologists expected Friday’s snow to reach 20 cm (8 inches) and temperatures to approach freezing. The Red Cross took food to truck drivers caught on the A4 in Madrid.
“Due to unfavorable weather conditions, flights are diverted from Madrid Barajas Airport. Check with the airline for the status of your flight, ”said Aena, which controls the country’s airports, in a tweet.
Some welcomed the chance to have fun on the snow.
Skiers slipped through the Plaza Puerta del Sol in central Madrid, and a video on social media showed a man on a sledge leading a pack of dogs on the streets of the capital.
The Real Madrid football team, which was heading to Pamplona for a match with Osasuna, the League’s rival, waited for four hours in a plane at Madrid airport before the flight took off.
Madrid and eight provinces have been under the most severe weather advice for the first time since the system was set up in 2007.
Large parks in the capital, including the Retiro near the Prado Museum, have been closed as a precaution.
“I went out to see and enjoy the snow. Today there is very little left to do (due to the pandemic) “, said Juan Jose, 24, marketing director, outside Retiro Park.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia have been suspended.
A record temperature of -35.6 degrees C (-32 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded at the Vega de Lourdes in Leon, northern Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said.
Reported by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, edited by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio, Sonya Hepinstall and Cynthia Osterman