The biggest blizzard in 50 years hit the capital Madrid and surrounding areas, disrupting traffic and efforts to distribute vaccines.

The record blizzard due to the effects of Typhoon Filomena, which began on the evening of January 8, covered more than 50 cm of snow in the capital Madrid into neighboring provinces.

Firefighters, military soldiers and emergency response groups worked around the clock to clear the snow, rescuing more than 1,500 people trapped in their cars amid negative weather.

Hundreds of routes opened to traffic on January 11 and flights in the capital have been resumed, but hundreds of other routes in the provinces are still not safe enough for vehicles to travel.

"An extremely cold week is coming and will turn the accumulated snow on the ground into ice, increasing the risk of circulation," Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on January 11.

At least 4 people have died from the blizzard, of which two were homeless from the cold.

The government warned people to get out of the way.

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Rubén del Campo, spokesman for the Spanish meteorological agency, said it was the worst blizzard in the country in 50 years.