EUROPE: The great freeze pushed its way across continental Europe last night, claiming further lives as temperatures dropped as low as minus 38 degrees, the coldest in half a century.
The cold spread from Russia to Turkey and Greece and as far west as France, while increased demand lead to a drop in Russian gas supplies to its European customers.
In Ukraine and Russia, the extreme temperatures led to the complete collapse of heating systems, leaving at least 80,000 people without heat.
In Moscow, the coldest winter in 27 years claimed another eight lives by yesterday, reported the Interfax agency, bringing the total death toll in Russia to at least 83 in the last seven days. Some 26 Ukrainians died over the weekend as a result of the extreme freezing weather.
The death toll from the coldest Polish winter since 1939 rose to 150 at the weekend as a further 27 people were found dead in temperatures reaching -32 degrees.
Public transport in Polish cities was affected as diesel froze in bus fuel tanks while church and government leaders appealed to citizens to visit the elderly.
Czech authorities recorded the 14th victim of the winter weather at the weekend when police found a homeless man under a bridge in Prague.
Part of the Temelin nuclear power plant in southern Bohemia was powered down to half capacity yesterday morning after the cold led to faults in thermometers.
Four people were found dead in Germany yesterday morning as temperatures dropped as low as -34 degrees in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
In the eastern German town of Wolfen, a 74-year-old woman tripped and fell on her way to her mailbox in front of her house. She was unable to get up and froze to death on her doorstep.
German meterologists predicted the cold spell will continue for several days and that the river Oder between Germany and Poland would freeze over during the night.
A seven year-old boy in the Bavarian town of Selb had to be rescued by the Red Cross yesterday morning when he decided to see just how cold -18 degrees actually is by licking a lamp post.
His tongue stuck to the metal but a little warm water was used to free him. With little more than some small cuts to his lower lip, he carried on to school.
Down under, Australian firefighters fought bush fires in Victoria while Adelaide enjoyed the temperatures of over 40 degrees, the highest on record since 1940.