Arctic cold has paralyzed Europe: traffic collapse and massive blackouts.

According to ТСН: North winds from the Atlantic and the Arctic have brought significant frosts to Central and Northern Europe, causing infrastructure problems.

Record frosts and energy consumption

Temperatures dropped drastically at the beginning of the week.

• United Kingdom: in the southeastern part of England, -12.5°C was recorded.

• France and Germany: in parts of Eastern France and the Bavarian Alps, temperatures reached -22°C.

For France, it was the coldest cold wave since 2012, when temperatures were 10–15 degrees below normal. This led to a sharp increase in electricity demand, which reached a record level not seen in the last five years. To make up for the deficit, the country must switch to gas generators as electricity generation from wind and solar sources has drastically decreased due to adverse weather conditions.

Traffic collapse and casualties

Snowfall led to airport closures from Paris to Amsterdam, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The most difficult situation is at Nantes airport.

Train services also suffered losses: Eurostar trains connecting London with Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam are running late or have been cancelled.

The weather was responsible for tragedies: in the Paris area, several traffic accidents occurred due to black ice, resulting in two fatalities and two injuries.

In the northwestern regions of France, the government prohibited heavy traffic and cancelled school buses.

Blackouts: from France to Berlin

Snow and ice have damaged power lines in the French departments of Loire-Atlantique and Vendée, leaving about 7500 households without electricity.

In Berlin, the situation remains tense following a recent cable fire. About 27,000 households have been without power for four days. The cold complicates repairs as the ground is frozen, making access to the damaged lines even more difficult.

Ukrainians in Berlin have set up a 'point of invincibility' for locals who are without electricity due to the blackout. Sudden outages are a significant stress for Germans, as they are usually informed in advance of planned maintenance work on the power grids.

These frosts in Central and Northern Europe pose a serious challenge to local infrastructure and the mood of the population. The situation remains difficult, and power outages as well as traffic delays add additional stress to people's daily lives. The governments of the affected countries are taking measures to minimize the impact of the natural disaster and ensure the safety of citizens.