Over the last week and a half, record-low temperatures across much of Europe has led to the death of at least 250 people. Europe had enjoyed a very mild winter up until the end of January, but a cold easterly wind has brought that to an abrupt halt.

Europe shivered in some of the coldest weather in decades. Many countries battled to clear snow from roads and railways. Temperatures have dropped as low as minus 32.5 C in some regions, causing power outages, traffic chaos and the closure of schools and nurseries.

In other parts of Europe rescue helicopters are airlifting supplies and evacuating dozens of people from snow-covered villages in Serbia and Bosnia. The weather is so cold that some areas of the Black Sea have frozen near the Romanian coastline, and rare snow has even fallen at low-levels in Algeria and Tunisia..