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Some Paris flights cancelled as France on snow alert

Flights in and out of Paris’s main airports were reduced by up to 30 per cent on Sunday as much of France was on snow alert. Forecasters warned of traffic disruption and economic fallout as the wintery weather continues Monday.

Reuters/Charles Platiau
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Paris airports asked airlines to reduce flights in and out of Charles De Gaulle by 30 per cent and Orly by 20 per cent on Sunday and prepared their 213 snowploughs to clear runways.

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Snow alert

Officials advised passengers to check if their flight had been cancelled and warned that getting to the airport on snowy and icy roads could be difficult.

Weather-watchers Météo France put 40 départements on orange alert (see embedded map) and predicted one to five centimetres of snow in the Paris region, five to eight centimetres in the Oise and the Somme and up to 30 centimetres at the highest points of the Massif Central mountain range.

The forecasters called for “particular vigilance in so far as this type of phenomenon is very disruptive for numerous economic activities”.

Saturday’s Saint Etienne-Montpellier football match was interrupted for about 20 minutes due to snow on the stadium. Saint Etienne won 4-1.

The recent wet weather has filled France’s rivers near to bursting point, leading to boat trips down the Seine being cancelled. The water was so high that boats could not pass under the Invalides bridge, operators of the famous bateaux mouches said.

Stretches of road along the river bank have been closed due to flooding since Monday.

The Seine reached 3.86 metres Saturday, far higher than its usual 2.00 metres but not yet at 2001’s 5.21 metres or 8.62 metres that led to much of Paris being flooded in 1910.

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