VARIOUS: Heavy snowfalls hit Britain and Belgium.
- 00:00:03
- ITN Source
VARIOUS: Heavy snowfalls hit Britain and Belgium.
Snow fell throughout much of Britain on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, presenting tobogganing opportunities for children but also causing travel misery. Belgium was also blanketed with a soft layer of snow. Much of Britain was covered by a thick blanket of snow on Thursday (February 8) morning. The snow caused travel chaos on roads and railways during morning commuting times. Certain airports across Britain were forced to close as snow and ice made it too dangerous for flights to take off and land. At Luton airport planes stood idle as snow ploughs were hard at work during the morning to clear runways of snow. Air passengers resigned themselves to a long wait for the airport to be reopened. The wait was too long for one ski tourist. He said he was going to change his travel plans and drive to his destination, Geneva, instead of waiting for a plane to take him there from Luton. Tourist attraction Hampton Court on the outskirts of London was almost deserted. But the snow was a novelty for young one toddler on a walk with her mother in nearby Bushey Park. Dogs frolicked in the snow. In central London, landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben were covered in snow. Throughout London's numerous parks children went sledding and made snowman. The winter pastimes were not limited to children, since adults too were busy rolling giant snow balls and testing their snowboarding skills. Commuters in Belgium, where snow also fell, seemed to be taking the snow in their stride. In Kampenhout, about an hour outside of Brussels, both man and beast were coping well with the cold on Thursday. Sheep, ducks and horses did their best to shake off the snowflakes while commuters inched their way along the roads. At the European Commission building in Brussels some commuters even managed to steer their way through the slowdown with traditional transport methods, cycling and even walking to work - something sure to please some after EU officials approved new measures on Wednesday (February 7) to beat carbon dioxide emissions.
ITN Source | February 8, 2007
