Snow in Europe: Icy blizzards stall transport networks
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Reuters
Fresh heavy snowfalls lashing Europe have caused transport delays, with the deep freeze expected to continue.
The airport in the Swiss city of Geneva has been forced to shut down temporarily and snow ploughs have been attempting to clear the runway.
Large parts of the Continent continue to shiver in the grip of a Siberian weather system that has brought the coldest temperatures for several years.
The cold snap has been given various nicknames in different countries.
In Britain it is "the Beast from the East" - with Storm Emma close behind - while the Dutch are calling it the "Siberian bear" and Swedes the "snow cannon".
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Icy blizzards have seen trains cancelled and roads come to a standstill.
About 2,000 drivers were stranded on a motorway near the French city of Montpellier, with some complaining of being stuck for as long 24 hours.
Meanwhile, dozens of people have been reported dead across the continent - including 21 in Poland, according to AFP news agency.
Many are believed to have been rough sleepers.
The cold spell has spread as far south as the Mediterranean and to the far north-west, where Ireland is prepared for what is predicted to be its heaviest snowfall in decades.
But the weather has also brought sporting opportunities, including skating and sledding as well as from skiing on city streets in Britain and France.
