Flights grounded as snow blankets UK, Europe

On Sunday, many parts of Europe experienced widespread snowfall and freezing rain, severely impacting transportation, particularly in the UK and Germany. Several major airports were forced to suspend flight operations.

The UK is expected to face continued severe weather today. Of particular concern is the potential for many rural areas in northern England to be cut off by heavy snow, with snow depths possibly reaching 40 centimeters in areas above 300 meters. The National Grid stated that it is working to restore power supplies nationwide, following reports of outages in cities including Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff in Wales.

Many sporting events have been postponed, but the high-profile Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United will proceed as scheduled after inspections of Liverpool's Anfield stadium and local conditions. Runways at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport were forced to close overnight but resumed normal operations on Sunday. Leeds Bradford Airport, however, will require more time to resume flight departures.

Road traffic has also been severely affected, with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year holidays, and students returning to university. Despite local authorities having closed many roads in advance, stranded vehicles and collisions have caused disruptions elsewhere. Many UK train services have been cancelled, and the National Rail has warned that disruptions will continue into the working week.

The UK's main weather forecasting agency, the Met Office, stated that sleet and snow will continue to move northwards on Sunday, with the heaviest snowfall expected in northern England and southern Scotland. Temperatures in the southern regions will turn milder after the freezing rain. The Environment Agency has also issued eight flood warnings along the River Tame and River Avon in southern England.

Germany was also thrown into chaos by the icy weather, with the winter weather spreading from the southwest. Authorities have issued black ice warnings to drivers and pedestrians, advising people to stay home if possible. Frankfurt Airport's press office stated that 120 of the 1090 scheduled flights were canceled on Sunday. Munich Airport has only one runway open, with another being cleared. In Baden-Württemberg, a bus slid off the road near the town of Hemmingen, injuring eight people. Long-distance train connections in the Frankfurt area were also experiencing irregularities.