Heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures have continued to sweep the European continent, causing more than a dozen deaths, grounding aeroplanes and crippling ferries in Italy and Turkey.
At least 10 people have died in the cold that has gripped Poland in recent days, including seven men aged 41 and 66 who died Friday, authorities said. A 51-year-old died of asphyxiation with carbon monoxide from a malfunctioning heater.
Temperatures in Poland dropped below -20C on Saturday, and weather forecasts said they would sink more overnight.
A man also died on Saturday in Belgium when his truck slid off a highway.
In Italy, sub-freezing temperatures were blamed for the deaths of a half-dozen homeless people.
Heavy snow and high winds caused re-routed flights, delayed ferries, cancelled trains and closed roads, media reported.
With no indications of a let-up, some schools in southern Italy were ordered not to open on Monday because of a metre of snow in some areas, the ANSA news agency reported.
The chill didn't spare sunny Rome. The fountains in St Peter's Square froze overnight and dripped icicles instead.
Temperatures dropped to -7C in Greece's second largest city of Thessaloniki, and -10C was expected on Sunday, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
Several Greek islands, otherwise known for their sunny and warm weather, were blanketed in snow. Roads were closed temporarily across large swathes of northern Greece due to snow and ice.
Heavy snow also crippled Istanbul, and national carrier Turkish Airlines cancelled more than 650 flights. The state-run Anadolu news agency reported that even the Bosporus Strait - which runs through Istanbul and is one of Europe's busiest shipping lanes - was closed and the ferry service halted.
Turkey's private Dogan news agency reported that one of the main highways in Istanbul practically turned into a car park after drivers deserted their cars on Friday night to walk home rather than battle the gusting snow and slippery roads.
A pair of delivery men whose truck was parked on a side street made the best of the situation, engaging in a snowball fight in between pushing their loads through mounds of snow that built up at the roadside.
In northern Europe, where residents are accustomed to sub-zero temperatures and snowy winters, police in Denmark warned about icy and slippery roads after dozens of minor traffic accidents.
Temperatures in Latvia were forecast to drop to -30C late on Saturday, the Baltic News Agency said.
