Cold, snow hit northern Italy

GENOA, Italy, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A blizzard struck Liguria in northwestern Italy, disrupting air and road traffic and leaving ships unable to berth in the port of Genoa.

Temperatures in central and northern Italy fell Friday, and highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia said about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the country's highway network was affected by bad weather.

Heavy vehicles on the A6 motorway between the cities of Savona and Ceva required escorts to travel, and ice caused problems on roads in the Lombardy and Marche regions, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Friday.

The national airline Alitalia warned of flight delays and cancellations.