After heavy snowfall Monday, cold snap to continue in much of Spain

The cold front that hit Spain last Thursday is continuing to cause traffic problems throughout the country, with snow and frost affecting 350 roads and delaying the high-speed AVE train service. The Renfe train service has also been interrupted on the Le¨®n-Oviedo line and between Rodalies and Catalonia.

The main airport in the Spanish capital Madrid, Adolfo Su¨¢rez Madrid-Barajas, is now fully operational after it was forced to cancel 70 flights on Monday because of the wintry conditions. Thirty-three arrivals and 37 departures were cancelled while six were diverted to other airports. Many other routes were also delayed, with the snow affecting 5% of yesterday¡¯s 1,075 flights at the airport, according to the airport authority AENA.

Around 50,000 students from six regions were unable to attend classes because of the conditions. In Castilla-La Mancha 110 schools were closed, while 334 bus routes were canceled leaving many without transport.

The snow is expected to ease in the center and south of Spain but will continue falling in the northeast and Cantabria area.

Below-average temperatures have been forecast until next Friday, according to an alert from the meteorological agency AEMET, with Thursday and Friday tipped to be the coldest days.?AEMET representative Delia Guti¨¦rrez said the temperatures will be ¡°far below¡± the average ¡°between 3?C and 6?C below across the country and up to 6?C and 10?C below average in mountainous areas.¡± The windchill factor will intensify the cold conditions.

English version by Melissa Kitson.