EUROPE CAUGHT IN ICY GRIP AS TEMPERATURES PLUMMET
A BLAST of Siberian weather sent temperatures plunging across much of Europe on Tuesday, causing headaches for travellers and leading to several deaths from exposure as snow carpeted palm-lined Mediterranean beaches.
At least five deaths were reported in Poland alone on Monday as the mercury dropped to -16C overnight in Warsaw.
That brought the number of Polish deaths from freezing to 53 since November 1.
The temperatures were expected to remain below -12C across the country on Tuesday, with the cold accentuated by a biting wind.
In Britain, authorities warned of up to 10cm of snow on Tuesday and the likelihood of travel delays on roads, rail networks and at airports.
Meanwhile, in France, which has remained frigid but dry during the cold snap, forecasters warned of heavy snow across much of the country starting on Wednesday, although spring-like temperatures are being predicted to soon follow.