TEHRAN, Feb 8 (AFP) - Parts of northern Iran and the capital Tehran were paralysed Tuesday after being hit by several days of record snowfall, with dozens of flights cancelled and key roads also blocked.
According to state media, up to 1.5 metres (five feet) of snow had fallen in the Islamic republic's north over the past few days, the heaviest in at least 10 years.
Parts of Tehran have been blanketed with up to 70 centimeters of powder, and weather forecasts predict no let up in snowfall before Friday.
Tehran's airport authorities said that so far 30 domestic flights have been cancelled, with international flights in and out of the capital also suffering delays.
Main roads linking Tehran with the cities of Qazvin and Tabriz to the west, and the Caspian Sea to the north, have also been closed -- leaving scores of towns and villages in the Alborz mountain range totally cut off.
Many other roads, including streets in the mountainous north of the capital, have also become inaccessible to regular cars.
02/08/2005 12:56 GMT - AFP