Freezing rain and icy conditions caused widespread travel disruptions across Central Europe on Tuesday, temporarily shutting down several airports and affecting rail and road traffic.
Vienna airport closed briefly after ice coated runways, with flights resuming gradually around midday. Austria’s state railway, OeBB, urged travelers to postpone non-urgent journeys amid cancellations and delays.
Bratislava airport in Slovakia was also temporarily closed. Slovak police warned on Facebook against travel due to “extreme” ice and snow in the country’s west.
In the Czech Republic, ice disrupted roads and railways. Prague airport came to a near standstill, with firefighters de-icing runways. Emergency services said about 50 people were treated for injuries from icy conditions, according to the CTK news agency.
In Hungary, Budapest airport was closed because of “black ice and extreme icing.” Earlier, an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane slid off the runway and came to a stop in the grass; authorities said the incident is under investigation. Trains and flights were delayed, and ice on the Danube and Tisza rivers prompted authorities to put icebreakers on alert.
Lake Balaton in western Hungary has frozen, a rare occurrence once every 10–15 years, but authorities warned the ice is too thin for skating.