(Newser)
– An unusual and persistent storm that the mayor of Madrid calls “the worst storm of 80 years” has covered with snow large parts of Spain, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or train stations and airports that had been suspended all services as the snow continued to fall on Saturday. The capital and other parts of central Spain first activated a red alert, the highest, and called on the army to rescue people from vehicles trapped in everything from small roads to the main roads of the city. city, according to the AP. The national weather agency AEMET warned that some regions would receive more than 24 hours of continuous snowfall due to the strange combination of a stagnant cold air mass in the Iberian Peninsula and the arrival of the warmest storm Filomena since from the south. AEMET had said up to 8 inches of snow could accumulate in large parts of the country, but the buildup reached more than 19 inches, even in urban areas.
Carlos Novillo, head of the Madrid emergency agency, said more than 1,000 vehicles had been 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 are trapped to have patience, we will get in touch with you.” The AENA airport operator said that Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport, the main gateway to and from the country, would remain closed all day after the snowstorm overtook the machines and workers trying to keep up. the snow-free slopes. All entry and exit trains from Madrid, as well as the railway lines between the south and northeast of the country, were suspended, the railway operator Renfe said. The storm is expected to move northeast throughout Saturday, AEMET said.
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