Snowfall of up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) and black ice in Germany brought roadways to a halt in many parts of the country on Sunday night and Monday. Trains and flights were delayed across Germany, and one major motorway was closed for hours in the early morning hours because of ice.

On one motorway between the northern towns of Lauenau and Bad Eilsen, a sudden freeze caused a 35-kilometer tailback and left thousands of people stranded in their cars for up to five hours on Sunday night. Police supplied drivers with warm drinks and blankets. "We had to wake up sleeping truck drivers one by one," a police spokesman said.

A deadly car crash was reported near the western German city of Maintal, where a 44-year-old man lost control of his car and spun into a truck.

Snow over the weekend caused more than 100 accidents in the eastern state of Brandenburg alone, with a total of 18 injuries, the state's Interior Ministry reported. Traffic was also disrupted in the eastern states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, where up to 15 centimeters of snow piled up on roads. Snow removal vehicles were in operation for most of Monday morning.

And in the town of Blankenrode in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a truck carrying 4,000 chickens lost control and thousands of the birds were killed when it crashed.

Heavy snowfall also led to the temporary closure of Düsseldorf International Airport after its runways became covered in ice. Incoming planes were rerouted to other airports and more than 48 flights were affected by the weather chaos.