Chaos reigned in Sweden due to heavy snowfall. It is indicative that 1,000 vehicles were stranded for over 24 hours on the main E22 motorway in the Skåne area, with rescuers working through the night to evacuate the occupants.

Many of those trapped were turned away by rescue teams and told to return to their cars later.

The chaos in Sweden occurred amid plummeting temperatures in the Nordic countries. Freezing temperatures have hit parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway, and snowstorms in Denmark have left drivers stranded on a motorway near Aarhus since Wednesday.

The Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka weather station in northern Sweden recorded its coldest night in 25 years on Tuesday night, with temperatures dropping to -43.6 degrees Celsius.

Rescuers said all people traveling in cars had been evacuated, and only truck drivers remained in their vehicles as of Thursday morning.

The disruption on the central E22 began at around 9pm local time (8am Greek time) on Wednesday, when snow made the E22 impassable in both directions between Horby and Kristiansand. Hundreds of cars were immobilized due to avalanches.

“It’s absolute chaos,” police spokeswoman Evelina Olsson said. Snow plows arrived Wednesday afternoon and police and rescue workers worked through the night to free people from the hundreds of trapped cars. Some had medical problems. Many of the trucks are expected to remain on the highway until Friday.

Erika Sepeliovaite told the website Aftonbladet that she, her two children and her dog were freed after 19 hours.

The army was sent to deliver food and water to the trapped.

Bus and train services were canceled in Skåne on Thursday morning and authorities urged people to avoid unnecessary travel.