Thousands of tourists stranded in northern Finland as deep freeze halts flights

A person walks past a digital display showing a temperature of minus 33C in Yllas, Finland (Satu Renko/Lehtikuva via AP)

Thousands of tourists are stranded in northern Finland after flights at Kittila airport were cancelled due to severe cold.

The temperature at the airport dropped to minus 37C on Sunday morning, after several days of similar frigid weather, making de-icing of aircraft and other operations difficult, Finland’s national public broadcaster Yle reported.