Thousands miss Christmas with families

Thousands miss Christmas with families
Updated: 14:21, Saturday, 25 December 2010

Thousands of people throughout Europe are spending Christmas Day away from their families and friends having had their flights delayed on cancelled because of snow and ice.


Dublin Airport - Flights operations will resume tomorrow morning
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Christmas Eve - Weather and transport updates
Flights suspended at Dublin Airport until 5am
Thousands of people throughout Europe are spending Christmas Day away from their families and friends having had their flights delayed on cancelled because of snow and ice.
The disruption to schedules at Dublin Airport over the past week has resulted in many passengers being stranded.
Dublin Airport has closed for Christmas Day, as is traditional, and flights will not resume until tomorrow morning.
The DAA said it had done its best to provide accommodation for passengers who remained stranded at Dublin Airport yesterday evening.
More than 200 stranded air passengers are spending Christmas Day at the Carlton Hotel near Dublin Airport.
Meanwhile, there have been renewed warnings issued about dangerous roads despite the expected onset of a thaw over the weekend.
There is a steady flow of traffic today as people visit relatives or friends in hospital or at their home.
It is extremely cold in most parts of the country this Christmas Day with widespread very severe frost and patches of freezing fog.
Met Éireann says temperatures will range from -5C in to +4 or 5C.
Tonight will be bitterly cold once again and severe frost will affect almost all areas with temperatures hitting -12C. Tomorrow will be less cold with rain and strong spreading throughout the day and highest temperatures from 3C to 8C.
Bus Éireann is operating a limited inter-city service to main towns and cities.
There are Christmas Day services to and from Limerick, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Rosslare Harbour, Ballina, Sligo, Waterford, Letterkenny, Donegal, Clonmel, and Derry.
A spokesperson for the company said the extra services are subject to weather and road conditions. The situation will be reviewed as the day goes on.
The services are due to continue until 9pm.
The Defence Forces say their severe weather assistance will continue throughout the Christmas period.
The Army is transporting healthcare professionals to medical facilities in Dublin, Cork, the Midlands and the West of the country.
Patients are also being transported to Dublin from Cork and the Midlands for ongoing treatment, and a meals on wheels service is being provided to the elderly and housebound in a number of locations around the country.
Water valves freeze in Dublin
The extremely cold temperatures in the Dublin area overnight caused water valves in Fairview to freeze.
These valves distribute water supply in the northeast of Dublin city.
Disruptions include reductions in pressure and in some cases a loss of supply. Affected areas include Clontarf, Killester and Raheny