Snow cripples air, train and road traffic in the Netherlands

Snowfall disrupted air, train and road traffic in the Netherlands on Monday, as hundreds of flights were cancelled and trains around Amsterdam came to a standstill.

Amsterdam Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs, cancelled almost 500 flights on Monday morning and was closed to incoming traffic until 1200 GMT due to the snow, news agency ANP reported.

Planes headed for Amsterdam were diverted to other airports, ANP said. Schiphol could not immediately be reached for further comment.

The airport had already been forced to scrap hundreds of flights a day since Friday due to snow and icy temperatures.

The snow, which covered large parts of the Netherlands on Monday morning, also crippled traffic.

The Dutch railway company NS said no trains were operating in the region around Amsterdam and public transport was severely affected in many places across the country.

Ice and snow also caused many delays and accidents on the roads, even as authorities advised people to stay at home whenever possible.

Snowfall is expected to continue in the Netherlands throughout the week.