Heavy snow brings widespread disruption across the UK and Germany

A man is seen with his son as they sledge on a hill with Durham Cathedral which is surrounded by heavy snow in Durham, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

LONDON (AP) — Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the U.K. and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights.

With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday in the U.K., there are concerns that many rural communities, particularly in the north of England, could be cut off, with up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) of snow on the ground above 300 meters (985 feet).

The National Grid, which oversees the country's electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country. Power cuts were reported in the English cities of Birmingham and Bristol, and Cardiff, Wales.

Many sporting events have already been postponed, though the heavyweight Premier League fixture between rivals Liverpool and Manchester United is on, following an inspection at Liverpool's Anfield stadium and of local conditions.

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways overnight, but were returning back to normal on Sunday. Leeds Bradford Airport took longer to get flights back in the air.

The road network was heavily impacted too on what would have been a very busy day with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year's break, and students heading back to universities.

Many roads had been preemptively closed by local authorities, but stranded vehicles and collisions have caused disruption elsewhere.

A number of U.K. train services were canceled, with National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.

Britain's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and will be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland. After experiencing freezing rain, which occurs when super-cold rain freezes on impact, the south will turn milder. The Environment Agency has also issued eight flood warnings across southern England on the Taw and Avon rivers.

Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of wintry weather is spreading from the southwest. Authorities have issued black ice warnings for drivers and pedestrians, advising people to stay home where possible.

Frankfurt airport canceled 120 of its 1,090 planned takeoffs and landings on Sunday, according to the Fraport press office. At Munich airport, only one runway was open while the other one was being cleared.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg, eight people were injured when a bus skidded off the road near the town of Hemmingen. Long-distance train connections also experienced irregularities in the Frankfurt area.

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Monika Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland.

Snow blankets the meadow near a chapel in the Taunus region near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
A lady is seen with her dog in front of Anthony Gormley's sculpture, the Angel of the North, which is surrounded by heavy snow in Gateshead, North East England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
A worker clears snow from a sidewalk in front of the stadium of the premier league soccer club FC Liverpool in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Snow blankets Lee Park in Liverpool, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Snow covers houses and the 'Knaresborough Viaduct' in Knaresborough, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
Snow falls on the roofs of the half-timbered houses in the historic city center in Freudenberg, Germany, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 . (Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)
A man on skis is pulled through the snowy landscape of the Swabian Alb by a horse, in Münsingen, Germany, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Thomas Warnack/dpa via AP)
Dogs, Ziggy, left and Digby play in the snow in Studley Royal park in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
People help to push cars stuck in snow in Leeds, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
A snowman in the sunshine on the Swabian Alb, Lichtenstein, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Thomas Warnack/dpa via AP)
A tree lies over a creek that meanders through a small valley in the Taunus region near Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Tobogganers at the top of the Fichtelberg, Oberwiesentha, Germany, Saturday Jan. 4, 2025. (Sebastian Willnow/dpa via AP)
A man walk's his dog in the heavy snow past scaled miniature famous landmarks which are located in Nenthead, England, as the severe weather continues across England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
Snow falls on the roofs of the half-timbered houses in the historic city center in Freudenberg, Germany, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)