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In pictures: Snow causes disruption in Western Europe

A woman walks through a blizzard in Caen, north-western France (12 March 2013)

Heavy snow and ice have been causing major problems across north-western Europe. Here, a woman walks through a blizzard in Caen, France.

Sweeping south from the UK, the snow hit northern France and Belgium hard. Germany and the Netherlands have also been suffering. Overnight, nearly 500 cars were trapped by drifts of up to 60cm (23in) in the northern French town of Cherbourg.

Roads are closed, many cars have been abandoned, and trains have been cancelled. Passengers on the Paris-Cherbourg train were forced to spend the night on board after it got stuck at Caen station.

In Paris, many commuters were simply urged to stay at home. Eurostar suspended rail services between the French capital, London and Brussels.

In Belgium, the authorities reported more than 1,000 miles of traffic jams during the morning rush-hour, with high winds whipping the snow into drifts that made driving even more difficult.

And to the east, there was significant disruption too. Here a tourist stands in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

One of Europe's busiest airports, Frankfurt in Germany, was forced to shut down on Tuesday morning. One runway later opened for take-offs only. Many flights from Paris have also been cancelled.

Here snow blankets cars in Duesseldorf, Germany.

This pedestrian in Kassel, Germany, is walking next to the sculpture Transformer by Chinese artist Bi Heng. The freezing weather is set to continue for several more days.

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