Thousands of tourists stranded in Lapland as cold grounds flights

Thousands of tourists have been stranded in Finland’s Lapland as a severe cold spell has grounded flights out of one of its airports.

Departures from Lapland’s Kittila airport that would have ferried winter travellers back to places like London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam were all cancelled on Sunday as temperatures did not go above -35C on Sunday.

The issue is expected to continue on Monday as a low of -39C is forecast by Finland’s meteorological agency. The first flight out of Kittila has already been cancelled.

The extreme cold makes it hard to de-ice planes, while maintenance and refuelling equipment on the ground can freeze.

Airport operator Finavia told public broadcaster Yle that moisture in the air was making the situation worse as it was creating slippery frost.

While Lapland – which spans northern Norway, Sweden and Finland – is known for the cold and snow, Finnish Lapland usually has a winter average temperature of -14C, with occasional dips to -30C, according to the nation’s tourism board.

Kittila airport predominantly serves people wishing to travel to nearby ski resorts and to see the Northern Lights, while Rovaniemi airport further south is the “official” destination for visitors to Santa Claus’s folkloric home.

One flight was cancelled out of Rovaniemi on Sunday.

Flights were reportedly cancelled in and out of Kittila on Friday and Saturday as well.

The cold weather has also made the roads particularly hazardous, with Fintraffic warning of icy conditions in the region.

A bus full of Ukrainian passengers drove into a ditch on Sunday morning, Yle reported, citing local police. It said no serious injuries were reported.

The unusual cold in Lapland comes as a storm passing over northern Europe has brought wintry conditions and travel disruption to the UK, France and Germany.

A man was killed after a tree fell on his caravan in England, while around 100,000 homes were without power in France on Saturday.