Post by : Bianca
Haleem
Berlin, Germany:
Berlin’s main airport stopped operations on Thursday evening after sheet ice covered the runways and made flying unsafe. Airport officials confirmed that all scheduled evening flights were cancelled, including both departures and arrivals.
According to airport authorities, the airport ceased operations at 7:30 pm (1830 GMT). A spokesperson said the airport had become “like a real ice rink,” making it impossible for planes to take off or land safely.
Officials said around 30 flights were scheduled to depart after that time, while nearly 70 flights were expected to arrive, but all were affected by the shutdown.
The airport had already been facing problems since Thursday morning. No departures were possible from the morning, and several incoming flights were also cancelled earlier in the day. By late afternoon, several dozen flights had already been cancelled, but officials said they could not provide exact numbers because the situation was changing quickly.
The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a red ice warning for a large part of eastern Germany. The warning covered areas from southwest of Berlin up to the Baltic Sea region.
The cold snap also caused serious disruptions on roads. On a highway near Potsdam, a series of crashes injured around 20 people.
In Berlin, the ice conditions also triggered debate over whether road authorities should use salt, which helps prevent accidents but is considered harmful to the environment.
The DWD also reported that January in Germany was significantly colder than the national average over the last 30 years.
English
