Cold weather blasts much of Europe

Thunderstorms rumbled overhead as the arctic air rushed in, bringing snow to the romantic city.

There is a rather eerie look to the wintry gondolas.

In Venice temperatures dropped from a maximum of 6C on the February 9, to just 1C two days later.

Snow and floods, an unfortunate combination

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.

The Venice Carnival runs from St Stephen’s Day (December 26) and midnight on Shrove Tuesday, the start of Lent.

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.

Milan was also plunged into icy conditions, as snow and gusty winds lashed the city on February 11 and 12.

These two little fellows were found inside the Visconti Castle in Milan.

Central Italy also turned white. This is the Piazza del Campo, or town square, of Siena in Tuscany.

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.

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.

The weather across the region is slowly improving as the system responsible slowly edges eastwards and weakens.