A strong Arctic air mass has brought very cold weather to Europe. Heavy snow has caused many problems for travelers. Thousands of people are stuck. Sadly, some people have died because of the bad weather. This has happened all over Europe since New Year's Eve. Many places have stopped their normal activities. Officials have told people to stay inside to be safe.
Air travel has been very difficult. Big airports have had trouble with the weather. KLM, a Dutch airline, cancelled 600 flights from Amsterdam on Wednesday. The day before, more than 400 flights were also cancelled. In France, flying was also reduced a lot. Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport cancelled 40% of its flights. Orly Airport cancelled a quarter of its flights.
Driving and trains have also had problems across Europe. Train services in France were late or cancelled. Roads were dangerous for drivers. Ice and snow made driving very risky. This caused some car accidents. The French Transport Minister asked people to avoid unnecessary travel. He also suggested working from home if possible.
The bad weather has caused six deaths. Five people died in France in two accidents on dangerous roads. In Sarajevo, Bosnia, a woman died when a tree fell. Heavy snow had made the tree too heavy. Sarajevo received about 40cm of snow. This shows how strong the storm was.
Scientists say cold air from the Arctic moved south. This is why the weather is so extreme. Temperatures in central Europe are much colder than usual. Some places are 10 degrees Celsius colder. The strong wind makes the cold feel even worse.
This long period of bad weather shows nature's power. The travel industry will lose money. Europe is now working to fix the travel problems. They also want to keep people safe. Help is being given to those most affected by the cold.