Spain grinds to a halt

December 15, 2009  •  Andalucia, National News  •  0 Comments

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ROADS and railways have been brought to a standstill across Spain with the sudden onslaught of Arctic weather.

Plummeting temperatures – in some cases dropping to ten degrees below zero – in Castilla-la Mancha and Aragon caused nation-wide chaos.

Although commuters were asked to leave their cars at home, traffic jams still stretched back for kilometres on some of the country’s principal motorways.

However, trains were also seriously affected, with the Madrid-Levante service being hit with a four-hour delay.

Some 23,000 children were told to stay at home as 63 schools were closed down in the Valencia area with Alicante province being particularly affected.

The weather even stretched south to Andalucia causing widespread disruption with many waking up to a thick covering of frost.

Several seasonal events have been cancelled, including the Coin Master Auction – due to be held in Marbella on December 16 – 19 – forced to be cancelled and rearranged for December 28.

Organiser John White was left bemoaning the bad timing of the unexpected cold snap.

White explained: “It’s caused mayhem, it was originally scheduled for December 16 but now the event has been put back to December 28.

“I just don’t think people would have been prepared to negotiate the treacherous conditions to come down here.”

Meanwhile, further snowfall has been forecast for the Balearic Islands.

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