- 1,000 British skiers trapped in Alps after severe snowfalls
- Falling trees and rocks blocking many routes
- Avalanche warning raised to stage three, or 'considerable risk'
- Holidaymakers advised to stay indoors
Many have become stranded since the weekend because of the heaviest snowfalls in Alps in the past 30 years.
Some holiday makers are four days overdue to be back home and back at work due to the weather. As much as 18ft has fallen over the past few days.
Although it did not snow yesterday, the latest forecasts predict further snow at the weekend.
Avalanches cut off numerous towns including the resorts of Ischgl and Galtur where an estimated 2,000 Britons are holidaying.
The frustration of being trapped by the snow is also matched by holidaymakers who are trying to get in.
Last night a single road - the B188 - was open to Innsbruck and a constant stream of cars turned it into a 30 mile traffic jam as they attempted to reach the outside world.
Rescuers warn that the roads could be closed again at any time, as avalanches are sporadic, trees are falling onto roads and the conditions on the roads means accidents are likely.
The frustration among tourists has been mounting. Derek Lindsay, 66, a retired surveyor from Worcester, flew into Austria on Saturday and only reached the resort he wanted to get to with his partner Carol on Tuesday.
Mr Lindsay, who is due to undergo radiotherapy when he gets back from his Alpine holiday for prostate cancer said: 'I am furious that we were shipped into the town of Galtur when it had an avalanche warning of four - and five is the highest.
'We sat in a hotel room unable to unpack, unable to ski and quite frankly getting very frustrated at a time when I was supposed to be having a stress free holiday.'
The reverse was true for plumber Peter Baker, 54, from Macclesfield, who was on holiday with his wife Karen and their children aged seven and 12.
He said: 'I've been stuck in Ischgl since Saturday and I was supposed to be back at work on Tuesday.
'The place was completely snowed in. They had police on the roads so you couldn't try to get out.
'The pistes were shut down because of the weather and all in all it felt like a bit of a siege. Spirits were high - I didn't have to pay any extra for my hotel.'
Stephen Veares, 46, a graphic designer from Camden Town in London, said: 'I should have been back at work on Wednesday but the boss was okay because he's seen the TV reports about what's happening here.
'The skiing, when it stops snowing, has been fantastic but for much of the time we were trapped in our hotels and cars. We simply couldn't go outside due to the storms.'
One St Anton hotel owner, Annabel Gonifas, told the Evening Standard newspaper the result of the freak conditions was 'chaos'.
Last night one enterprising Austrian company was charging British and Russian tourists trapped in Ischgl close to £4,500 to fly individuals and family units out of the city to Innsbruck airport - a journey of just 15 minutes.
Several wealthy tourists from both the UK and Russia took advantage of the offer but most people were left stuck in the traffic jams on the one free road trying to get out.
Klaus Schmidhofer form the Avalanche Warning Centre in Salzburg said: 'Even though the avalanche warning in some areas has been reduced. The danger is still extensive. People should proceed with extreme caution.'
Weather forecasters predict between a foot and 18 inches of fresh snow in the Tyrol over the next five days. But they do not expect a return of the high winds which caused avalanches in recent days.
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