With an arctic blast hitting, Stockholmers woke on Friday to a fresh dusting of snow, and skaters came out in force to enjoy the giant ice rink in the city’s historic Kungstradgarden park. The cold snap gripping the continent will continue into next week — with forecasts for sub-zero temperatures in Germany and snow in parts of the U.K.
While the conditions will help add to the festive spirit, they’ll start to put pressure on energy supplies that are crucial to Europe surviving the winter without blackouts. A mild autumn limited gas usage and helped storage sites to fill up, easing worries about potential shortages with the loss of Russian flows. But the challenges are now starting.