Heavy snow grounds Germany flights

Heavy overnight snowfall grounded about 450 flights and caused major delays at German airports yesterday.

Schools were closed and roads clogged with traffic. At least two people died as the weather caused scores of accidents.

Snow also hit flights in the Netherlands, where Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport saw 30 cancellations and major delays ahead of the busy Christmas holiday season.

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The European control agency Eurocontrol said passengers at Schiphol, one of Europe's busiest airports, had to expect delays of up to four-and-a-half hours.

Snow also closed Geneva airport though it was open again by midmorning, and flights were also disrupted in Zurich.

In Frankfurt, 300 flights had been cancelled by late morning, and the number was expected to rise throughout the day, a spokesman said. About eight inches (20 cm) of snow blanketed the area overnight.