MADRID (Reuters) – Heavy snow from Hurricane Filomena left hundreds of drivers stranded in cars on Friday, with roads blocked and Madrid airport closed.
The M-30 and M-40 motorways near Madrid were among more than 400 roads affected by snow, traffic authorities said. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel.
Some drivers were stuck in their vehicles in Madrid, unable to drive due to icy roads.
“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.
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.
The Real Madrid football team, headed to Pamplona for a match against rivals La Liga Osasuna, was left to wait in a plane for more than two hours at Madrid airport.
With snow forecasts of up to 20 cm (8 inches) in 24 hours and temperatures of around zero degrees Celsius, the south of the Madrid region has been at the highest alert level 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 -35.6C was recorded at Vega de Lourdes in Leon, northern Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said.
Troops from the Military Emergency Unit helped clean up roads and infrastructure across the country, the defense ministry said.
“Maybe we should go back to the snow of February 1984 or March 1971 to find similar precedents if the predictions we expect are correct,” said Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for Aemet.
Reported by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, edited by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio and Sonya Hepinstall