(Bloomberg) -- Snow and ice triggered weather warnings across much of the UK, as freezing Arctic air lifts heating demand across northern Europe this week.
More than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow is possible over higher ground in Scotland and northern England, potentially disrupting transport, according to the Met Office. Similar falls are possible on Thursday over the higher parts of Dartmoor in the southwest.
The icy weather will boost heating demand, forcing some European countries to tap into gas reserves that are already depleting faster than expected. Temperatures in Stockholm will plummet to as low as -9C (16F) on Friday and Saturday.
Heavy snowfall is expected in the Swiss and French Alps, with Meteo France forecasting as much as 50 centimeters above 2,000 meters.
An orange wind alert is in place for Corsica, with gusts as strong as 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour. Flights from the French island to Lyon, Marseille and Nice were canceled on Wednesday, according to Nice-Matin. The powerful winds also halted arrivals and departures at the port of Bastia.
The strong winds are also impacting Sardinia and other parts of Italy, with some schools in Tuscany closing as a precaution on Wednesday.
- In London, the mean temperature is forecast to drop as low as 2C on Nov. 21, 6C below the 30-year norm.
- In Zurich, the mean temperature is forecast to drop as low as -4C on Nov. 21, 7C below the 30-year norm.
--With assistance from Flavia Rotondi and Eamon Akil Farhat.
(Updates with snow in southwest England in second paragraph and transport disruptions in Corsica in fifth)
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