Extreme cold has grounded flights from one of Finland’s Lapland airports, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
All departures from Kittila Airport in Lapland, which would ferry winter travelers back to places like London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam, were canceled as temperatures on Sunday did not exceed -35 degrees Celsius.
The problem is expected to continue on Monday as the Finnish Meteorological Institute predicts a low of -39C. The first flight from Kittila has already been cancelled.
Extreme cold makes it difficult to de-ice airplanes and can freeze maintenance and refueling equipment on the ground.
Airport operator Finavia told public broadcaster Yle that moisture in the air was making the situation worse by creating slippery frost.
Lapland, which straddles northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, is known for its cold and snow, but according to the Finnish Tourism Board, average winter temperatures in Finnish Lapland are typically minus 14 degrees Celsius and can sometimes drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Kittila Airport mainly serves people who want to travel to nearby ski resorts and see the Northern Lights, while Rovaniemi Airport, further south, is the “official” destination for visitors to Santa Claus’ folk house.
One flight from Rovaniemi on Sunday was cancelled.
Flights to and from Kittila were reportedly canceled on Friday and Saturday as well.
The cold weather has made roads particularly dangerous, with Fintraffic warning of icy conditions in the area.
A bus full of Ukrainian passengers plunged into a ditch on Sunday morning, Yle reported, citing local police. It said no serious injuries were reported.
The unusual cold in Lapland comes as a storm moves through northern Europe, bringing winter weather and travel disruptions to Britain, France and Germany.
In the UK, a man died when a tree fell on his caravan, and in France, power was cut off to about 100,000 homes.
