DTN News: European Freeze Hits Transport As Britain Limits Gas

DTN News: European Freeze Hits Transport As Britain Limits Gas *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) LONDON, UK - January 09, 2010: Europe grappled with grounded planes and yet more Eurostar cancellations Friday as bitter winter weather forced Britain to curb industrial gas usage in order to save supplies.RADSTOCK, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 08: Villagers clear snow from a road that leads to a school after the local authority failed to grit the road in time for the school to re-open in Radstock on January 8 2010, in Somerset, England. Britain is continuing to be gripped by the Arctic weather suffering its coldest night of the winter so far with temperatures down to -22.3C in a village in the Scottish Highlands. Forecasters have predicted the cold spell to last for another week. Britain saw overnight temperatures plunge to minus 22 degrees Celsius (minus eight degrees Fahrenheit) at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands -- the lowest so far in the country's worst winter in decades. Hundreds of flights were also scrapped leaving more passengers stranded. On the Continent, forecasters in France warned of imminent "significant" snowfalls, while Germany braced for up to 40 centimetres (15 inches) of fresh snow later Friday, accompanied by gale force winds. "What is being forecast for the weekend could lead to chaotic traffic conditions and potentially leave large parts of Germany completely paralysed," the Autoclub Europa warned.SUNBURY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 8 : A digger clears snow as winter race meetings at the Kempton Park race course are cancelled due to the snowy conditions on January 8, 2010 in Sunbury, England. Extremely cold conditions are continuing to grip the UK with many overnight temperatures falling to -10 degrees Celsius and the Scotish village of Sutherland recording -22C. Conditions in Britain sparked concern for energy supplies, where 27 major companies -- which were not named -- were ordered to halt using gas Friday in order to maintain overall supplies of the fuel. Ninety-seven major companies had their gas turned off Thursday, in the first such move since 2003, although the government said there was no immediate danger for households. "We've got plenty of supplies, the gas storage is about 70 percent full," Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told GMTV television. "There's absolutely no need for any domestic customers to worry." The beleaguered Eurostar passenger rail service linking Britain with France and Belgium via the Channel tunnel cancelled half of its services between London and Paris. "Because of the current severe weather conditions Eurostar will continue to run a restricted service up to and including Sunday," it said. Low-cost airline easyJet cancelled 32 flights, largely to and from London Gatwick and Liverpool airports. British Airways cancelled around 60 departures from London Heathrow, while around 90 incoming flights were scrapped. On the roads, the AA motor vehicle breakdown service said it had dealt with 340,000 breakdowns since December 17. "In our entire history we have never been as busy," its president Edmund King said. Thousands of schools remained closed, while several of the weekend's English Premier League football matches were called off and few fixtures in Scotland survived. "The very cold weather will continue over the weekend, with penetrating frosts across the country," the Met Office weather service said. In Norway, temperatures hit minus 42 degrees Celsius in the central village of Folldal. The plunging temperatures forced a rise in electricity demand, sending prices up too. In France, 15,000 people left without electricity in and around the southern city of Arles after power lines collapsed under the weight of snow. Around 30 centimetres fell in some parts of the southeast. Some 37 departments (districts) were put on orange alert with heavy snowfall expected. "The amount of snow expected is significant, exceptional even," Meteo France warned. Most of Spain was put on alert for fresh snowfalls, strong winds and low temperatures, while heavy rain triggered floods in the Andalusia region. Switzerland's 24.5 kilometre (15.3 mile) Gotthard Tunnel, part of a strategic trans-European motorway that runs from Germany to Italy, was due to reopen to trucks following heavy snowfall. In Poland, nine people died in the past two days, bringing the total to 139 since the start of November, a police spokesman told AFP. Most of the victims were described as homeless. Overnight temperatures dipped to minus 12 degrees Celsius and forecasters predicted more snow and freezing temperatures over the next seven days. In the Netherlands, where temperatures hit minus 10 degrees Celsius, the ice skating federation KNSB warned that ice on lakes and canals was not yet solid enough for the traditional Dutch winter pastime.