MADRID (Reuters) – Heavy snowfall from Hurricane Filomena left thousands of Spanish drivers trapped in their cars on Friday as roads were blocked and Madrid airport closed.
The M-30 and M-40 motorways near Madrid were among more than 400 roads where snow made vehicles difficult, according to traffic authorities. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel due to the highly unusual snowstorm.
“I drove my husband to the hospital and I was trapped here for three hours. It is a journey that should last 15 minutes, “a woman told Spanish television RNE from her car.
Meteorologists predicted Friday’s snowfall would total 20 cm (8 inches) and temperatures would oscillate around freezing. The Red Cross brought food to truckers trapped on the A4 in Madrid.
“Due to adverse weather conditions, flights are diverted from Madrid Barajas Airport. Check with your airline to find out the status of your flight, ”said Aena, which controls the country’s airports in a tweet.
Some welcomed the chance to have fun in the snow.
Skiers slid down Puerta del Sol Square in central Madrid, and a video on social media showed a man on a sled driving a group of dogs through the streets of the capital.
The Real Madrid football team, headed to Pamplona for a match against league rival Osasuna, waited four hours on the plane at Madrid airport before taking off.
Madrid and eight provinces received the most severe weather advice for the first time since the system was set up in 2007.
The capital’s large parks, including the Retiro next to the Prado Museum, were closed as a precaution.
“I went out to see and enjoy the snow. There is very little else to do these days (due to the pandemic), ”said Juan Jose, 24, a marketing executive, outside Retiro Park.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia were suspended.
A record temperature of -35.6 degrees C (-32 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded in Vega de Lourdes, in León, in northern Spain, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
Report by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, edited by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio, Sonya Hepinstall and Cynthia Osterman