The great European whiteout
Tanks to the rescue in 10ft drifts
TANKS are being used to rescue homeowners from neck-deep snow in Germany and Austria as Europe continues to be blanketed in a whiteout that hits only once every 30 years.
In Switzerland, a 1,000ft-wide avalanche ploughed through the front of a hotel while diners were eating.
They all survived, but there have been up to 20 deaths on the European mainland after the worst snowfalls in living memory. Roads have been blocked, train services halted and schools shut.
German armed forces used tanks and other armoured vehicles to reach stranded homeowners, while in the southern state of Bavaria a nine-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree.
The snow is up to 10ft deep in parts of Austria, where seven people have died in the past week and two hikers have been missing since Saturday.
Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed on both sides of the German-Austrian border.
‘Such quantities of snow above 800m [2,624ft] altitude only happen once every 30 to 100 years,’ said Austrian meteorologist Alexander Radlherr. The Austrian military used helicopters to blow snow off treetops to cut the risk of trees falling on roads and train tracks.
Sweden and Norway have been hit by similar problems, while three diners were injured when an avalanche came down the Schwägalp Pass in the Swiss Alps and crashed into the Hotel Santis.
The blanket of snow is expected to remain into the middle of next week throughout central and northern Europe.
Meanwhile, the picture on Scottish ski slopes is the exact reverse of the situation a year ago.
While perfect conditions brought skiers flocking in January last year, today, the same slopes are unseasonably barren – save for a sliver of artificial snow.
Two of Scotland’s five resorts – Glenshee and Nevis Range – have yet to open, while skiing is very limited at Glencoe Mountain, CairnGorm Mountain and The Lecht in Aberdeenshire.
The three resorts have been forced to make use of artificial snow to offer skiing, mainly to beginners. But weathermen say the situation is about to change.
Forecasters are predicting a return of last year’s devastating Beast from the East and have warned of snow storms.
The Met Office says Scotland faces severe frosts and temperatures as low as -10C. Forecasters say the only uncertainty is whether the wind will come from the Arctic or Siberia.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Martin Young said: ‘From the middle of next week, and especially during the last week of January and into early February, there is an increased likelihood of cold weather becoming established across all of the UK.’