GENEVA AIRPORT REOPENS AFTER ICY 'BEAST FROM THE EAST'

The airport in the Swiss city of Geneva closed for several hours on Thursday due to bitterly cold weather that has hit many parts of Europe this week with snow and icy winds, causing travel chaos.

The airport reopened at 1000 GMT for departures and will accept arrivals from 1200 GMT, the airport said in a statement on its mobile app, which showed more than 40 flights from Geneva had been canceled, as well as dozens arrivals.

Traffic stacks up on the snow-covered A3 motorway near Zurich, Switzerland, March 1, 2018.

Ice is pictured on a barrier and a tree during a windy winter day near Lake Leman in Geneva, Switzerland,

A Siberian weather system forecaster have called the “beast from the east” brought snow, strong winds and the coldest temperatures for years to many regions across Europe.

Planes cancelled, trains cancelled, buses and taxis not running, people calling in to work saying they’re stranded..... but Fred Flintstone is braving the Beast from the East!! pic.twitter.com/gfcuI78RuJ
— Daniel the Spaniel (@RAFpolicedog) March 1, 2018

Geneva’s temperatures are set to rise later on Thursday, but the freeze is expected to continue elsewhere.

Deadly blast of Siberian weather dubbed "Beast from the East" keeps Europe in deep freeze, killing dozens of people and causing travel chaos https://t.co/pK7llhVl8J pic.twitter.com/PbVxSGHoFm
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) March 1, 2018