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More snow disrupts European travel

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A car drives slowly on a snow-covered road in Alsace, France.

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LONDON, England -- Heavy snow across northern and central areas of Europe continued to cause problems for travelers on Friday with dangerous conditions expected into the weekend.

Up to 50 vehicles were trapped on a road in East Yorkshire in northern England with up to 20 centimeters of snow and strong winds creating blizzard conditions, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile a motorway connecting Hungary and Austria was closed after around 40 vehicles were involved in a pile-up in heavy snow, Reuters said.

Police said at least seven people were injured in the accident at Gyor, Hungary, on the M1, the main route between Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and Vienna, the Austrian capital.

Only one runway was open at Budapest's main airport with flight delays expected, the airport authority said.

In the Netherlands, the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute advised drivers to stay off the roads as approaching blizzards, ice and high winds made for dangerous conditions, The Associated Press reported.

Rail passengers were also advised to stay at home as trains between major cities were cancelled.

In France, Meteo France issued an "orange alert," indicating severe weather conditions, lasting across much of the country until Saturday morning, Le Figaro newspaper reported.

A 52-year-old woman who lived in a garden shed in Le Mans and a homeless man in Lyon were reported dead due to exposure to the cold, AP said.

The UK's Met Office issued severe weather warnings for large areas of eastern England and Scotland and was warning drivers to delay their journeys if possible. But it said that the snow would ease and turn to rain later in the day.

The UK's Press Association reported that temperatures on Thursday night had risen to minus 3 Celsius (27 Fahrenheit), having dipped as low as minus 10.8 Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) 24 hours earlier.

A man in his 40s was found dead on the steps of West Bromwich Town Hall in central England on Wednesday, PA reported. Police fear he may have frozen to death.

In northern Italy, which has seen its most snow in two decades, temperatures dropped to minus 17 Celsius (1.4 Fahrenheit). A 22-year-old homeless man froze to death at Rome's main railway station on Wednesday, AP reported.

In the Czech Republic, the main airport at Prague-Ruzyne was partly closed on Thursday morning with planes unable to take off following further snow overnight.

Four trucks were also involved in a collision on the main highway between Prague and Brno on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

In northern France hundreds of motorists were forced to spend Wednesday night in community centers and hotels near Nancy as road crews battled to clear snow from the roads.

A highway in the Calvados region of Normandy was also closed in both directions because of snow, while France's border with Italy remained closed until mid-afternoon, AP said.

In Austria, more than 300 homes were left without power in the Vienna region as snow knocked out power lines and caused dozens of road accidents, AP reported.

A driver was killed when his car slid into a tree in icy conditions in Mistelbach while authorities said that at least 11 trucks had jack-knifed on the highways.

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