(Bloomberg) -- Madrid’s international airport has been shut after heavy snowfall covered the Spanish capital and much of the rest of the country.
Spain’s biggest hub will remain closed Saturday, state-controlled airport manager Aena SA said on Twitter. More than 50 flights were already canceled or diverted Friday. The snowfall has also prompted the suspension of train services to and from Madrid, while a soccer game of local club Atletico Madrid slated for the afternoon has been postponed.
Storm Filomena moved north from the Gulf of Cadiz, causing the biggest snowfall in decades in Madrid. While some extemporaneous skiers appeared in the streets of the city, its bus services have been suspended and special military units deployed, mainly to help trapped drivers.
Around 1,000 vehicles that got stuck in the snow have been rescued in the Madrid region, while hundreds are still blocked, according to local emergency services.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged residents on Twitter to avoid journeys and follow the instructions of emergency services.
“The is situation is extremely serious. I’m in direct contact with all the security and emergency services. Stay at home,” Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said on Twitter.
Filomena has affected large swathes of the country, with hundreds of highways and roads cut off. A ferry with more than 60 people on board was rescued Friday in southern archipelago the Canary Islands after the storm made it ran aground.
The cold snap has also pushed natural gas prices in Spain to a record high. The country is a key component of the global LNG market, accounting for Europe’s highest number of terminals for the fuel.
Últimas Noticias
Debanhi Escobar: they secured the motel where she was found lifeless in a cistern
Members of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Nuevo León secured the Nueva Castilla Motel as part of the investigations into the case
The oldest person in the world died at the age of 119
Kane Tanaka lived in Japan. She was born six months earlier than George Orwell, the same year that the Wright brothers first flew, and Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize
Macabre find in CDMX: they left a body bagged and tied in a taxi
The body was left in the back seats of the car. It was covered with black bags and tied with industrial tape
The eagles of America will face Manchester City in a duel of legends. Here are the details
The top Mexican football champion will play a match with Pep Guardiola's squad in the Lone Star Cup
Why is it good to bring dogs out to know the world when they are puppies
A so-called protection against the spread of diseases threatens the integral development of dogs
