Bout of freezing weather hits Czechia, ice and snow disrupt transport

A 35-year-old temperature record was broken on Monday in Hliniště, in the South Bohemian part of the Šumava mountains. Meteorologists measured minus 30.2 degrees Celsius, 0.2 degrees lower than the previous record set in 1991, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

Freezing weather and snow caused rail disruptions in many parts of the country, including Prague. Several passenger trains did not run from Prague’s Radotín to Smíchov station, and one passenger service was cancelled due to a frozen switch in Děčín, according to Czech Railways.

From Monday evening, freezing rain is expected to create ice in the western half of the Czech Republic, spreading eastward on Tuesday. In a belt stretching from northwestern Bohemia through central Bohemia to southwestern Moravia, ice thickness could reach two to five millimeters, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said. Injuries and transport complications are expected.