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Snow paralyses parts of Europe
29/02/2004 19:45 - (SA)
Bordeaux - Heavy snowfalls and high winds hit parts of Europe over the weekend, leaving about 5 000 trucks stranded in southwest France on Sunday after the main crossing-point to Spain was closed, police said.
Goods vehicles were backed up for 10km on the A63 motorway leading to the Biriatou frontier post, which had been shut since Friday. Others were parked in lay-bys and service stations up to Bordeaux.
The crossing point re-opened late on Sunday afternoon, local authorities said.
"We have no information, the police came but didn't talk to us," German driver Claudia Blenk complained, one of those who had been stuck about 30km from the city.
Nine north Spanish regions have been placed on alert but conditions were expected to begin improving, meteorologists said.
Apart from northern Spain, northern Italy, western Germany, southern Poland and parts of Croatia were the worst affected.
Hundreds of Portuguese trucks and buses headed to northern Europe have been prevented since Saturday morning from crossing into Spain, where heavy snowfall has blocked roads.
Portugal's daily newspaper Publico said that Spanish police were only allowing Portuguese truckers with proof that they are headed no farther than Madrid to cross a major border checkpoint at Vilar Formoso, about 360km northeast of Lisbon.
As a result truck and gas stops in the region were packed with parked trucks and many drivers were forced to spend the night in their vehicles.
Spanish authorities have said the Vilar Formoso border crossing will remain closed to truck traffic until at least Monday.
Private cars however were still being allowed to cross the border.
In western France, driving conditions were difficult in Brittany where nearly 5 700 homes were without electricity. Snow also fell on the Cote d'Azur.
Meanwhile in Portugal heavy snowfalls have forced the closure of roads on mainland Portugal's highest mountain range, Serra Da Estrela, which tops out at 1 993 metres.
The sparsely populated mountain range is home to Portugal's only ski resort.
The situation has been slowly improving in northern Italy which was paralysed on Saturday due to strong snowfalls especially in Bologna and Florence. Motorways were closed and rail services disrupted.
The airport at Bologna which was closed on Saturday after 40 cm of snow fell in 24 hours re-opened on Sunday but only for a reduced service.
Some 1 500 people in western Germany were forced to spend Friday night in their cars after becoming stuck in a 230km traffic jam, police said.
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