At least 40 cm of snow has paralysed traffic in much of the south of the country, particularly in Limburg and Noord Brabant.

The transport ministry is advising lorry drivers not to travel because of the risk of their vehicles getting stuck. Parts of the A2 motorway near Eindhoven have been closed in both directions because of the heavy snow.
The ANWB motoring organisation is warning drivers about the slippery conditions and says they should avoid all but non-essential journeys.

Public transport
The police are also having difficulty following up alarm reports, the Telegraaf says.
Bus services in Limburg have also been halted by the snow, but some buses were running later in the day.
Train services in the region are also subject to delays.
Maastricht Aachen airport remains closed and flights have been diverted to Amsterdam’s airport Schiphol. Eindhoven airport was also closed for a time on Friday morning but has since reopened.

Christmas Day
The snow fell east of a line between Assen and Tilburg. According to the KNMI weather bureau, temperatures will remain around freezing on Friday with light frosts at night.
On Saturday it will be dry with some sunny spells but there may be show showers in coastal areas.