Workers at the Eiffel Tower used a blowtorch to melt the ice collecting on its surfaces and snow was blocking roads and halting trains and school buses Wednesday across northern France.
Amid a European cold snap, areas in Normandy and Brittany unused to such icy conditions were closing highways for lack of snow-clearing equipment. In parts of the Paris region, local authorities halted school buses and urged parents to keep their children at home.
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Workers at the Eiffel Tower used a blowtorch to melt the ice collecting on its surfaces and snow was blocking roads and halting trains and school buses Wednesday across northern France.
“When negative temperatures return, my floors get partially covered with ice! To get rid of it, we need to use a blowtorch because ice-control salt is too corrosive for the metal,” tweeted the monument, which has been closed to the public for months because of coronavirus restrictions.
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A man feeds scraps to seagulls as the cold snap continues to grip much of the nation, in Whitley Bay, England, Wednesday Feb. 10, 2021. Cold weather is predicted to continue over the region for some days. (Owen HumphreysPA via AP)
Youngsters slide downhill on boards at Leopold II park in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow have swept across much of Europe and is predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
Icicles on the fountains in Trafalgar Square, London, with the National Gallery in the background, as temperatures dropped below freezing, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Snow has swept across the country, with further snowfall predicted, bringing travel problems as temperatures dropped. (AP PhotoAlastair Grant)
A youngster slides down a hill on a sled at Leopold II park in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow has swept across much of Europe and is predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
An Egyptian goose makes a slippery landing on a frozen lake in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2021. Extreme winter weather had hit Germany from North to West, and even the industrial Ruhr valley. (AP PhotoMartin Meissner)
A person walks past a mount of snow at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. A snowstorm and strong winds pounded parts of Germany since Sunday. (AP PhotoMichael Sohn)
A seagull sits on a partly ice-covered lamp at the pier of the Baltic Sea island Ruegen, Germany, Tuesday, Feb.9, 2021. Days of strong easterly winds and icy temperatures make for this not everyday spectacle. (Bernd Wuestneckdpa via AP)
A staff member clears snow from the Washington D.C. Capitol in Miniworld in Lichrenstein, Germany, Tuesday, Feb.9, 2021. To prevent damage in winter, some of the monuments are enclosed. The rest are regularly checked and cleared of snow. (Jan Woitasdpa via AP)
Snow blanketed the French capital and froze the Eiffel Tower.
Youngsters slide down hill on sledges after a snowfall at the Woluwe park in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow has swept across much of Europe and predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
“When negative temperatures return, my floors get partially covered with ice! To get rid of it, we need to use a blowtorch because ice-control salt is too corrosive for the metal,” tweeted the monument, which has been closed to the public for months because of coronavirus restrictions.
Parts of central and northern Europe as well as Britain have been gripped by a cold weather front since the weekend. Heavy snowfall tangled traffic and stranded drivers in Germany and the Czech Republic.
Some took advantage of the frosty climes. Cross-country skiers glided across the Charles Bridge in Prague, children sledded in the usually snowless parks of Belgium's capital of Brussels, and the deep winter freeze has reawakened the Dutch national obsession with skating on frozen canals.
A man removes snow in front of his home after a snowfall in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow has swept across much of Europe and predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
Follow all AP stories on climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/Climate.
The frozen Hofvijver pond is seen outside the Dutch parliament buildings in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. With freezing temperatures forecast for more than a week in the Netherlands, ice fever is sweeping the nation, offering a welcome respite from grim coronavirus news while also creating a challenge for authorities trying to uphold social distancing measures. (AP PhotoMike Corder)
A man feeds scraps to seagulls as the cold snap continues to grip much of the nation, in Whitley Bay, England, Wednesday Feb. 10, 2021. Cold weather is predicted to continue over the region for some days. (Owen HumphreysPA via AP)
Youngsters slide downhill on boards at Leopold II park in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow have swept across much of Europe and is predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
Icicles on the fountains in Trafalgar Square, London, with the National Gallery in the background, as temperatures dropped below freezing, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Snow has swept across the country, with further snowfall predicted, bringing travel problems as temperatures dropped. (AP PhotoAlastair Grant)
A youngster slides down a hill on a sled at Leopold II park in Brussels, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Freezing temperatures and snow has swept across much of Europe and is predicted to settle on the region over the coming days. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
An Egyptian goose makes a slippery landing on a frozen lake in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2021. Extreme winter weather had hit Germany from North to West, and even the industrial Ruhr valley. (AP PhotoMartin Meissner)
A person walks past a mount of snow at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. A snowstorm and strong winds pounded parts of Germany since Sunday. (AP PhotoMichael Sohn)
A seagull sits on a partly ice-covered lamp at the pier of the Baltic Sea island Ruegen, Germany, Tuesday, Feb.9, 2021. Days of strong easterly winds and icy temperatures make for this not everyday spectacle. (Bernd Wuestneckdpa via AP)
A staff member clears snow from the Washington D.C. Capitol in Miniworld in Lichrenstein, Germany, Tuesday, Feb.9, 2021. To prevent damage in winter, some of the monuments are enclosed. The rest are regularly checked and cleared of snow. (Jan Woitasdpa via AP)