BUDAPEST, Hungary, Jan 13: Airports in parts of Central Europe were forced to temporarily close on Tuesday due to icy weather, disrupting flights and travel across the region.

Budapest Airport in Hungary, Vienna Airport in Austria, and Bratislava Airport in Slovakia suspended operations in the morning after freezing rain and black ice created unsafe conditions on runways. Flights have since resumed at all three airports.

Vienna Airport reported a thick layer of ice that continued to refreeze despite clearing efforts, forcing some flights to be diverted. Arrivals were expected to resume from 12:00 p.m. local time, while departures resumed from 11:00 a.m. local time. Bratislava Airport reopened at 11:15 a.m., with delays expected during the morning hours. Budapest Airport temporarily halted arrivals and departures from 10:25 a.m. due to extreme icing.

Prague’s Václav Havel Airport in the Czech Republic operated in a limited mode as freezing rain affected runway conditions. Officials increased the number of permitted arrivals from two to six per hour after de-icing measures.

Budapest Airport also reported a minor incident in the morning when the nose gear of an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane slipped off a taxiway onto the grass. Authorities are investigating and working to free the aircraft.

A weather system across central and eastern Europe brought snow and freezing rain, creating widespread icy conditions. Sky News weather experts warned that icy roads and airports could continue to disrupt travel in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Some improvement is expected in Prague and Vienna later in the day, although overnight ice hazards remain.

Heavy snow is forecast in southern Norway and Sweden, while parts of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Iraq may see significant snowfall. Milder air is expected to move across Europe in the coming days, but eastern regions are likely to experience continued wintry conditions on Wednesday.

In the UK, the Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice across much of western and northern Scotland from 8:00 p.m. Tuesday to 10:00 a.m. Wednesday. Additional flood warnings remain in place following Storm Goretti, with a yellow rain warning for southwest England on Thursday.

Freezing rain, a rare form of precipitation that freezes on contact, has been identified as a key factor in creating the hazardous conditions affecting flights and road travel.