LONDON, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Snow, ice and bitter cold disrupted land and air traffic across Western Europe Friday, stranding Christmas travelers.
In Britain, many rail operators canceled or reduced service, The Daily Telegraph reported.
At Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, half the flights were canceled, mainly because of a shortage of de-icing fluid, the BBC reported. Two thousand travelers were camping out there.
ScotRail, First Capital Connect, Chiltern, Merseyrail, National Express East Anglia, Stansted Express and London Midland were among the companies dropping trains across England and Scotland.
Weather forecasters said Britain could be on track for its coldest December since 1890. More heavy snow was forecast for parts of Scotland and northeastern England Friday
British Airways said it was operating almost all flights at London's Heathrow airport, but smaller airports were affected by shutdowns on the continent.
In Germany, traffic was at a standstill in parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the rail line between Berlin and Hanover was shut by frozen overhead power lines.
In Italy, heavy rain flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice, and residents of Vicenza were evacuated because of high river levels.
