The harsh winter weather in northern Europe led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's busiest airport, while heavy snow in the Scandinavian countries disrupted air traffic in Oslo for several hours.

A spokesperson for Frankfurt Airport said that about 570 out of 1047 scheduled flights were canceled, while Germany’s commercial capital was preparing for severe weather conditions.

By the early hours of the afternoon, all departing flights had been canceled from the schedule following the start of freezing rain, although landings were still possible, according to a spokesperson. It was not immediately clear how long the flight suspensions would continue.

By evening, some flights had resumed, but the airport warned of continued flight disruptions on Thursday.

Munich Airport also warned on Wednesday morning of flight disruptions due to bad weather, with 250 out of 650 scheduled flights canceled, according to a spokesperson for the airport to the French news agency.

In northern France, heavy rain and snow caused serious traffic disruptions, resulting in about 30 areas being placed in an "orange alert" state, one level below the maximum alert.

Also in Norway, Oslo Airport was closed for nearly three hours Wednesday afternoon, while most bus trips in the Norwegian capital were canceled. The railway operator "Vy" announced a traffic interruption in much of eastern Norway.

In neighboring Sweden, heavy snow caused many traffic accidents in the west and south of the country, causing traffic jams on several main roads.

The police said in a statement that "road surfaces are very slippery, and the police urge citizens not to go out except in cases of extreme necessity."

The Swedish National Weather Service also issued a warning for the capital Stockholm of "strong winds accompanied by snow."

"Accumulation of accidents"

Cold waves have become rarer in Europe and globally, due to the effect of global warming which reduces the likelihood, duration, and intensity of their occurrence, according to climate scientists.

The German national airline Lufthansa advised passengers to confirm that their flights were still scheduled before heading to the airports.

The low-pressure system "Gertrud" expected to hit southwestern and central Germany may bring snow with a thickness of up to 40 centimeters, ice formation on roads, and "infrastructure damage," according to the German Meteorological Service.

State police there reported a "large number of accidents on roads near Baden (southwest)," while the national railway company "Deutsche Bahn" said it is slowing its high-speed trains from 320 to 200 kilometers per hour due to the conditions.

It also warned of delays and cancellations on its regional and long-distance networks, especially between the cities of Cologne and Frankfurt in western Germany.

A 34-year-old vehicle driver crashed into a tree and died after skidding on a country road in Rhineland-Palatinate in southwestern Germany.

Emergency services in this state said they are preparing for a wave of road accidents, increasing the number of their staff and vehicles. They urged drivers not to use the roads except "in extreme necessity."

In large parts of Bavaria, Germany’s largest state, schools were closed in anticipation of severe winter conditions.