Temperatures Plunge to Minus 37 Degrees: All Flights Canceled in Finland’s Deep Freeze, Stranding Thousands

[The Financial News] An unusually harsh cold wave has hit Finland, forcing flight cancellations and leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
According to The Associated Press (AP) and other outlets on the 11th (local time), all flights departing from Kittilä Airport in the Lapland region of northern Finland were canceled due to extreme cold.
AP reported that a cold snap drove morning temperatures down to minus 37 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to de-ice aircraft. This led to the cancellation of flights and stranded thousands of tourists.
Kittilä Airport is a key gateway for tourists traveling to Lapland to ski or to see the Northern Lights.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has forecast that temperatures in the area could fall to minus 40 degrees on the 12th, and flight cancellations are expected to continue that day as well.
This winter’s cold spell has been particularly severe, disrupting transportation not only in Finland but across other European countries due to freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall.
In Germany, heavy snowfall on the 9th forced state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn to suspend all train services in the northern region. Delays and cancellations continued through the 11th, causing major inconvenience for passengers.
In Estonia and Lithuania, authorities warned of blizzard conditions and urged drivers to avoid nonessential travel. In Latvia, a heavy snow warning was issued for the western part of the country.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Su-yeon Reporter