A group of approximately 200 Irish holidaymakers has been stranded at an airport in the French Alps for over 24 hours because of heavy snow.
The group of around 200 people who are travelling with Crystal Ski say they have now spent over 24 hours at Chambery Airport, as their plane was due to disembark yesterday.
Lorraine Miley from Dublin is among those stranded. She had been returning to Dublin after a holiday with her family.
She told RTÉ News today that it was "pure hell". She said the group spent the night sleeping on the floor of the airport, wearing ski suits to keep warm.
"We were offered emergency accommodation but all it was, was the floor of a local gym."
The only food they have been offered was water and crisps, she said.
Ms Miley said the group was not being kept informed of what was happening. She said they felt that flights to UK airports were being prioritised.
She said the group has been told they may depart tonight but she did not hold much hope.
In a statement Crystal Ski said its team had been working overnight with airlines, airport and local authorities to arrange flights home today.
A spokesperson said additional aircraft were being flown in to bring customers home.
"Our goal is to get everyone home later today," the spokesperson said.
The statement said that customers would be kept updated via staff on the ground, by phone and social media.
The region has been hit with heavy snow and ice causing havoc for thousands of skiers were travelling to and from resorts.
Heavy snowfall left some 15,000 drivers stranded yesterday, prompting officials to open emergency shelters and urge travellers to stay home.
The snow and ice hit as a rush of holidaymakers were heading to and leaving from ski resorts in the Savoie region, where authorities set up shelters in at least 12 towns.
The snow and freezing rain also caused the death of a 27-year-old man whose car slid into a ravine in the Belledonne mountain range.
France's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve in a statement urged drivers "to exercise the utmost caution" and asked those who could delay their trips to do so.
The country declared an orange weather alert – one step under the maximum red alert - in 19 regional departments.
France's meteorological services said they expected more snowfall and "significant re-freezing" Saturday night and warned of slippery roads.
Elsewhere in France, wind wrought havoc for holiday travellers.
Storms packing gusts of up to 160km per hour forced the temporary closure of France's port of Calais on the English Channel and the suspension of car ferries to and from Britain.
A few kilometres outside the industrial northern city, thousands of illegal migrants living in makeshift camps struggled through a second night of freezing temperatures.
"The conditions outside are hellish in the 'jungles'," said David Lacour, the director of Solid'R, which is running a care centre to help migrants survive the cold.
"The storm blew away a lot of tents - some now have nothing."
Snow caused disruption in Britain too, leading to power shortages in more than 100,000 homes and delays at airports.
The heaviest snow was in Leek, western central England, where 11cm fell.
Flights to European destinations took off with delays from Manchester Airport, the third-biggest in Britain.
Forecasters predict that temperatures in Britain could drop as low as minus 10 degrees next week.
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