MADRID (Reuters) – Heavy snow from Storm Filomena left thousands of Spanish drivers stuck in their cars on Friday because roads were blocked and Madrid airport was closed.
The M-30 and M-40 highways near Madrid were among more than 400 roads where snow interfered with vehicles, traffic authorities said. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel due to the highly unusual blizzard.
“I drove to my husband in the hospital and was stuck here for three hours. It’s a journey that should take 15 minutes, ”a woman told Spanish television RNE from her car.
Meteorologists expected snowfall on Friday to total 20 cm (8 in), and temperatures hovered around freezing. The Red Cross delivered food to detained truck drivers on the A4 in Madrid.
“Due to unfavorable weather conditions, flights are diverted from Madrid Barajas Airport. Please check with your airline for the condition of your flight, ”Aena, who manages the country’s airports, said in a tweet.
Some welcomed the chance to have fun in the snow.
Skiers glided through Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid, and a video on social media showed a man on a sled driving a pack of dogs through the capital’s streets.
Heading to Pamplona for a game against La Liga rival Osasuna, the Real Madrid football team waited four hours on a plane at Madrid airport before their flight took off.
Madrid and eight provinces fell under the most severe weather advice for the first time since the system was established in 2007.
Major parks in the capital, including the Retiro next to the Prado Museum, were closed as a precaution.
“I have come to see and enjoy the snow. There is little else to do these days (because of the pandemic), ”said Juan Jose, 24, a marketing manager, outside Retiro Park.
High-speed trains between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia were suspended.
A record temperature of -35.6 degrees C (-32 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded at Vega de Lourdes in Leon, northern Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) said.
Reporting by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, published by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio, Sonya Hepinstall and Cynthia Osterman