A large part of the Italian regions are facing the polar cyclone, the snow has caused problems in Poland, Germany and Croatia
Heavy snowfall has caused numerous problems in many regions of Italy. Firefighters have carried out 60 interventions in Palermo due to bad weather, where in Monreale a stone broke off from the mountain ending up near a house, but without causing casualties.
Some houses also suffered damage due to falling trees as a result of the strong winds. The heavy snowfall that has hit Molise has caused chaos on the roads, where hundreds of drivers were stranded. Meanwhile, an avalanche from Mount Campitello Matese in Molise damaged the car of the mayor of San Massimo, Alfonso Leggieri, who fortunately escaped.
Heavy snow caused major problems in Abruzzo and Lazio as well. 23 people were rescued by search and rescue teams including a newborn after heavy snow blocked the roads. Bad weather has also hit the province of Cosenza, with strong winds, snow and storms. The most worrying situation is that of the Tyrrhenian coast, where storms have caused considerable damage. In some areas, schools and some will remain closed until the weather improves. Heavy snow has also caused problems in Sicily, Sardinia, while in Campania the flood situation remains stable.
Bad weather has also caused problems in other European countries. Heavy snowfall in southwest Germany has turned into serious problems for drivers. In a number of areas, road services failed to clear the road due to strong winds and highways were blocked. The most difficult situation was in the Saarland, where more than 30 centimeters of snow fell and according to the authorities, the bad weather has brought dozens of accidents in which eight people were injured.
In Poland, about 300,000 people are without electricity after heavy snow and strong winds damaged power lines. Adverse weather conditions have caused several fatal accidents and train delays, particularly in the south. Emergency services responded to more than 2,000 calls from people seeking help. With temperatures expected to drop further, authorities across the country are on high alert.
In western Croatia, some areas have suffered a traffic collapse due to snow storms and strong winds. A number of roads have been closed and ferry traffic has been disrupted. Heavy snowfall has fallen in Lika and Dalmatia. On the coast, the storms have brought down trees and as a result vehicles have been damaged.
