Iconic Eiffel Tower shuts as snow hits Paris

PARIS, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Eiffel Tower was closed Tuesday afternoon due to bad weather as heavy snow blanketed northern France and threw traffic out of gear.

"Due to weather conditions, the Eiffel Tower is closed for all our visitors," the authorities said on the icon's Twitter account.

Visitors huddled under umbrellas on the silvery road near the monument, admiring its snow-covered look.

Meteorologists predicted the snowfall would intensify overnight Wednesday and snow accumulation in Paris could reach 10 centimeters. Temperatures were expected to fall as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Twenty-eight administrative departments, including eight in the Paris region, were put on orange alert. Bus services in the capital were canceled Tuesday evening with school transport suspended in many places Wednesday. Enditem