A sudden winter attack in France has led to an orange alert being declared in fifteen departments in the north of the country, including the entire Ile-de-France region. The French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC) has called on carriers to cancel up to 30 percent of flights at Paris airports. In addition to snowfall and black ice, the southwestern part of the country is grappling with floods caused by Storm Nils, which has led to the declaration of the highest, red-level threat.
Mass Flight Cancellations
Due to snow and black ice, up to 30% of connections have been canceled at Paris's main airports, affecting thousands of travelers.
Highest Flood Alert
The departments of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne remain under a red alert due to dangerous river surges following Storm Nils.
Land Transport Paralysis
Drastic speed limits have been introduced in Ile-de-France, and the carrier SNCF has reported train delays in the south of the country.
The French national meteorological service Meteo-France announced a state of heightened readiness for a significant part of the country on Sunday morning. The situation is particularly difficult in the northern regions, where an orange alert due to intense snowfall and black ice covers 15 departments. In the Ile-de-France region and in the Hauts-de-France departments, 1 to 6 centimeters of fresh powder is forecast. Although the phenomenon is expected to be short-lived, officials warn of extremely difficult road conditions, forcing the introduction of speed limits to 20 km/h in some operational areas. The French meteorological warning system is based on a four-level color scale (green, yellow, orange, red), introduced in 2001 after the tragic hurricanes Lothar and Martin of 1999.The weather situation has hit the aviation sector the hardest. DGAC issued recommendations, according to which airlines reduced the number of operations by 30 percent at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport and by 20 percent at Paris-Orly airport. Disruptions have also not spared the railways – SNCF reports disruptions to train services, particularly on routes in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie. Passengers are asked to check the status of connections before traveling. 30% — flights canceled at Charles de Gaulle airportSimultaneously, southwestern France is battling the water element. The departments of Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne are under a red flood alert. This is a consequence of the passage of storm Nils, which led to soil saturation and rivers overflowing their banks. In the Alps and Pyrenees, avalanche warnings have been declared, completing the picture of the extremely difficult weather situation currently facing the French Fifth Republic. Flight Reductions at Paris Airports: Paris-Charles de Gaulle: 30, Paris-Orly: 20 Weather Events Timeline: February 14 — DGAC Communication; February 15, 08:00 — Start of Alerts; February 15, 14:00 — End of Road Restrictions „The snow episode will be short, but its intensity on the ground may temporarily paralyze road traffic.” — Meteo-France Media emphasize the impact of climate change on the severity of phenomena such as Storm Nils and call for support for the affected regions. | Commentators focus on the economic costs of transport paralysis and the efficiency of crisis management services.