‘Beast from the East’ system sends big chill across Europe

LONDON — As unusually cold weather gripped Europe, Britain’s military was sent out Friday to central and western England to get hospital employees to work and help police rescue people from snowbound vehicles.

Nicknamed “The Beast from the East,” the cold front caused travel chaos, with hundreds of flights canceled in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Switzerland. Trains broke down. Motorists found themselves stuck on highways and trapped in frosty conditions for hours.

“This is particularly unusual weather,” British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said. “It’s something that happens very rarely in this country.”

Up to three feet of snow was reported in eastern Ireland, and travelers were stranded south and west of Dublin.

The big chill also froze canals in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. Ice on Prinsengracht canal was thick enough for residents to lace up their skates and glide across its frozen surface.

“It’s just cool. You can go fast and you see the world from a slightly different perspective,” skater Noldus Reijnders said.

Heathrow Airport tweeted Friday that it was working with airlines to consolidate the flight schedule “to provide more certainty around departing flights,” amid the extreme winter conditions in Europe. Gatwick, London City, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports also reported cancellations.

The army sent 20 soldiers and 10 four-wheel drive vehicles to Shropshire, the county south of Liverpool, and the Royal Marines sent resources to the southwest coast after police asked for help.

EVERT ELSINGA/EPA Nobody complained about the cold Friday at Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal, which was thick enough for residents to glide across. Tourists to the Netherlands took selfies.