Forecasts published by EUMETNET, the Network of European Meteorological Services, suggest that potentially dangerous snowy and icy conditions across much of western Europe will continue to affect distribution of goods during the next couple of days at least.
More heavy snow is expected in many parts of Europe this coming weekend, according to the forecasts, with freezing conditions in particular creating problems in particular for road transport around the continent.
In eastern and south-eastern Austria, particularly around the capital Vienna, conditions were described as 'very dangerous', with up to 70cm of snow predicted for Thursday and Friday.
Snow and ice were also said to be creating hazardous conditions in parts of Spain, France, Germany and the British Isles, where reports of delays to supermarket deliveries contrasted starkly with tales of shoppers 'flocking' to retail stores apparently to buy up bigger-than-normal quantities of food and other provisions.
Transport and logistics services have also come under pressure across many parts of Europe.
At the Port of Hamburg in Germany, temperatures of no higher than -5°C combined with light snow were reported to be compounding earlier snowfall to make access to and from the port difficult, while road conditions around the Port of Rotterdam in south-west Netherlands were said to be extremely slippery due to the freezing weather.
In the UK, the Fresh Produce Journal reported freezing temperatures and a third week of snow in parts of the UK had brought disruption to the production of winter vegetables.
Scotland was the worst hit, with temperatures as low as -17°C, while harvesting in Northern Ireland was also severely hampered by the conditions.
Bob Carruth of the National Farmers’ Union Scotland said movement of fuel was also becoming an issue.
In Northern Ireland, conditions have been difficult too. Michael Miller of Total Produce in Belfast said: “Things have been hard since the week before Christmas, but are getting worse this week. Temperatures have fallen as low as -8°C. Growers just can’t get their leeks, turnips, parsnips and carrots out of the ground.
Florida freeze
In the US state of Florida meanwhile, growers were reportedly scrambling to protect their fruit production as overnight temperatures plummeted to record lows.
In West Palm Beach, a new daily record low of 1°C was recorded, while in Miami temperatures were at their lowest for the time of year since 1919, at 4°C.
Sue Harrell of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association told reporters that water was being sprayed on crops to create a frozen layer of insulation around the fruit.
Meanwhile, Florida Citrus Mutual spokesman Andrew Meadows said citrus growers had reported only 'isolated pockets of damage' as temperatures fell below zero.
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