AT LEAST four Polish people were killed as the first snowstorms of the winter blew through central Europe, toppling trees, severing power lines and disrupting energy supplies.
The unseasonably heavy snowfall were combined with high winds to bring chaos to Poland, where some 700,000 people were left without electricity on Wednesday night, fallen trees blocked roads and rail tracks and huge waves damaged a pier at the Baltic resort of Sopot.
Up to 250,000 Poles were reported to be still without power yesterday, as emergency crews battled to restore electricity and clear roads in the teeth of continuing bad weather. Polish troops were deployed to help clear up the damage, while one electricity company declared a state of emergency in eight districts due to damaged power lines and and widespread power cuts.
Several flights were directed away from Warsaw due to snowstorms. One of the many passengers delayed by the weather was visiting Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak. Storms also severed heat and power supplies to tens of thousands of people in neighbouring Czech Republic.
In Ukraine, pipelines that carry about a fifth of Russian oil exports to Europe shut down after storms caused electricity shortages at pumping stations, affecting supplies to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Ukrainian officials said electricity had been restored and shipments restarted yesterday.
Earlier in the week, thousands of Bosnian homes were plunged into darkness when heavy snow struck Sarajevo and the east of the country, bringing down trees and power lines.
The Arlberg train line linking Austria to Switzerland was closed for several hours after heavy snowfall brought trees crashing down on the tracks. There was mixed news for skiers: while Austria’s Alps recorded its biggest October snowfall in 25 years, the Tyrol mountain rescue service also issued its first avalanche warning of the season.
