Towns cut off and travelers delayed as country hit by unexpected heavy snow

Heavy snowfall and strong winds paralyzed southern Poland yesterday. Many towns were cut off and highways and railways, even in the north of the country, were blocked by snow. Rail passengers faced delays of up to eight hours. The airports in Rzeszow and Gdansk were closed, while flights out of Warsaw and Krakow were seriously delayed. Following the New Year celebrations tourists heading north from such mountain resorts as Zakopane were surprised by the treacherous conditions as they journeyed home. "Nobody expected such heavy snowfalls and we are doing our best to clear the snow and slush off the roads," said Public Roads Bureau (GDDP) spokesperson Katarzyna Amkieh. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Reuters) A.Z.