Flights from Berlin airport cancelled due to black ice

All flights from Berlin were suspended due to black ice as of around 9am on Wednesday morning.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Airport website had a note to passengers that read: "Due to the weather conditions, no take-offs are currently possible. Please check flight status with your airline."

Many of the flights which had been scheduled for departures at 6 or 7am were now marked as being scheduled for 10am or later.

Passengers should expect that delays may continue through the day, and are advised to check the current status of their flight with their airline or on the BER website.

Other disruptions due to freezing rain and black ice

This comes as the German Weather Service warns of black ice due to freezing rain in eastern parts of Germany, including Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.

Disruptions in road and rail traffic are also happening in these regions.

According to the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), the U2 line was partially disrupted on Thursday morning.

People were urged to avoid driving if possible. Restrictions are possible on all traffic routes. 

From the North Sea coast to the edge of the Alps, the weather service also expects slippery roads for many other parts of the country.

Since Wednesday night, snow and icy roads had caused accidents, long traffic jams and problems in rail traffic in many parts of Germany.

At Deutsche Bahn, there were numerous cancellations and delays in long-distance traffic on Wednesday. 

Schools were also closed on Thursday in several regions of Lower Saxony. Students are expected to attend lessons online.

Face-to-face teaching at schools had been cancelled earlier this week in parts of Hesse, Lower Saxony and Bremen.

More snow and cold weather

Since the start of the year, Germany has been hit by a string of snow storms and cold weather days that have tested the country's winter preparedness.

The risk of freezing rain and black ice was set to continue through the day in the east, with severe weather being possible in some regions.

According to the DWD, snow was expected in the morning, especially in Lower Saxony.

Between one and five centimetres of fresh snow was also forecast for parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. 

Daytime temperatures will reach a maximum of -3C to 2C in the east and northeast.

In the west and southwest maximum temperatures of up to 8C are possible, in Breisgau up to 10C.

A dramatic weather split has continued to divide Germany with frost and sub-zero temperatures in the north, and warmer conditions in the south and southwest.

With reporting by DPA.