Strong snowfall, freezing temperatures paralyze parts of Germany

Berlin, Feb 8 (efe-epa).- Heavy snow has brought land travel to a standstill in several German regions as forecasters predict a week of wintry weather is still to come.

Rail services were suspended in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous federal state in the country, neighboring Lower Saxony and Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony Anhalt, in the east.

The adverse weather dumped up to 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) of snow on some of the highways in those regions, making travel by car treacherous, despite the round-the-clock work of the snow plows.

Public and commuter transportation has also been affected in cities such as Essen, Dortmund and Cologne, as well as in Hannover and Hamburg. The situation in Berlin is less serious, although there are alterations in traffic due to the snowfall.

All restaurants in Germany have been closed since November due to the pandemic — only delivery service is allowed. Leisure activities, museums and non-essential services are also temporarily off the menu. Germany’s schools remain closed, although their gradual re-opening will be evaluated starting next week. EFE-EPA

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