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An icy blast has swept across parts of Europe, causing temperatures
to drop away like a stone.
FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images
Thunderstorms rumbled overhead as the arctic air rushed in, bringing snow to the romantic city.
FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images
There is a rather eerie look to the wintry gondolas.
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In Venice temperatures dropped from a maximum of 6C on the February 9,
to just 1C two days later.
Luigi Costantini/AP
As the winds strengthened in the Adriatic, the city also endured an ‘Aqua Alta’. High tide, combined with a storm surge, caused parts of the city to flood. This lady tries to break the slabs of ice floating in Piazza San Marco.
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The Venice Carnival runs from St Stephen’s Day (December 26) and
midnight on Shrove Tuesday, the start of Lent.
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It is unclear where the tradition to wear a mask originated,
but the first documents which refer to them dates back to the 13th
century.
Antonio Calanni/AP
Milan was also plunged into icy conditions, as snow and
gusty winds lashed the city on February 11 and 12.
MATTEO BAZZI/EPA
These two little fellows were found inside the Visconti Castle in Milan.
NICCOLO CADIRNI/EPA
Central Italy also turned white. This is the Piazza del Campo, or town square, of Siena in Tuscany.
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Lorries were forced to stop by the side of a highway in Brezovica, near Ljubljana. According to local media, hundreds of lorries were banned from travelling to Italy due to the snow.
ADRIAN RUIZ DE HIERRO/EPA
The wintry storm hit many other parts of Europe as well as Italy. Vitoria, in northern Spain, reported its heaviest snowstorm in the last six years, with a snow depth over ten centimetres.
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The weather across the region is slowly improving as the system responsible slowly edges eastwards and weakens.