MADRID (Reuters) – Heavy snowfall from Storm Filomena trapped thousands of Spanish drivers in their cars on Friday as roads were blocked and Madrid airport closed.
The traffic authorities said the M-30 and M-40 highways near Madrid were among more than 400 roads where snow vehicles obstructed. Citizens were asked not to avoid essential trips due to the extremely unusual snowstorm.
‘I drove to see my husband in the hospital and have been stuck here for three hours. It is a journey that must take 15 minutes, ‘a woman from her car told Spanish television RNE.
Meteorologists expected the snowfall on Friday to be 20 cm (8 inches), and that the temperature would hang freezing. The Red Cross took food to trapped truck drivers on the A4 in Madrid.
‘Due to the unfavorable meteorological conditions, flights from Madrid Barajas airport are being diverted. Consult your airline for the status of your flight, “said Aena, who controls the country’s airports, in a tweet.
Some welcomed the chance to have fun in the snow.
Skiers hovered through Puerta del Sol Square in central Madrid, and a video on social media showed a man riding a sleigh with a pack of dogs through the streets of the capital.
The Real Madrid football team, which was on its way to Pamplona for a match against rivals Osasuna from La Liga, waited four hours at the airport in Madrid on a plane before taking off.
Madrid and eight provinces were under the worst weather advice for the first time since the establishment of the system in 2007.
Large parks in the capital, including the Retiro next to the Prado Museum, have been closed as a precaution.
“I came out to see and enjoy the snow. There is very little to do these days (due to the pandemic), ”said Juan Jose (24), a marketing manager, outside Retiro Park.
High-speed services between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia have been suspended.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) recorded a record temperature of -35.6 degrees C (-32 degrees Fahrenheit) at Vega de Lourdes in Leon, northern Spain.
Reporting by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, editing by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio, Sonya Hepinstall and Cynthia Osterman