Europe&#39;s deep freeze, which has<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/beast-from-the-east-heavy-snowfall-disrupts-uk-europe-703"> cost some 60 lives over the past week,</a> showed little sign of ending Friday as a shivering continent awaited a sliver of weekend respite from the chaos wrought by a brutal Siberian weather system.

After heavy snowfall and deadly blizzards lashed Europe across Thursday, conditions marginally improved in some regions - but temperatures generally remained sub-zero, forcing more major delays on roads, railways and at airports.

Geneva&#39;s busy airport announced it had re-opened shortly after midday &quot;despite the unfavourable meteorological conditions&quot;, having warned earlier it faced staying shut for a second consecutive day as snowstorms continued to lash the Swiss city.

Airport authorities warned, however, of further &quot;delays and cancellations.

Switzerland has seen the mercury plummet to records of up to minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) in the ongoing blizzard, which has also impacted air, road and train transport around Europe and even covered usually balmy Mediterranean beaches with a blanket of snow.

In France, 21 departments, mainly in the northwest, remained on alert for snow and black ice as the vicious cold snap -- which British media have dubbed &quot;the Beast from the East,&quot; the Dutch the &quot;Siberian Bear&quot; and Swedes the &quot;snow cannon&quot; -- maintained its grip.

Over the past week, the freezing conditions have claimed 59 lives according to an AFP toll - 23 in Poland, seven in Slovakia, six in the Czech Republic, five in Lithuania, four in France, at least three in Spain, two in Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia and one in Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden.&nbsp;

The cold threw a spanner into the works of British Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s plans to give a speech on Brexit in the northeastern city of Newcastle.

May elected to stay put in London given the transport mayhem, which saw motorists stuck in their cars around Manchester in the northwest and troops deployed overnight in Hampshire in the deep south to aid other drivers battling fresh snowfalls and icy gales.

Also having to change their plans were Andrew Waring and his wife, Daniella, who gave birth to baby daughter Sienna on the side of a snowbound main road outside the northeastern town of Darlington.

Mr Waring delivered the child on the roadside after they realised they would not reach the hospital in time, paramedics dubbing Sienna the #A66snowbaby after the road where she emerged into the world. &nbsp;

An ambulance then took the family to the hospital.

&quot;Having been present at the birth of our two other children I just copied what I had seen then,&quot; Andrew Waring told the BBC.

In Ireland, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy tweeted that &quot;blizzard conditions have now passed&quot;, advising people they could now venture outdoors while still exercising &quot;extreme caution&quot;.

Even so, Dublin airport remained closed until at least Saturday in Ireland, where some 24,000 people remained without electricity Friday morning.&nbsp;

The country battled to get over the worst of a combination of the cold blast and Storm Emma, which has also been battering western Europe and was doing its worst over Britain after moving up from further to the southwest.

Temperatures in London and Dublin remained just below freezing around midday, with Britain&#39;s Meteorological Office forecasting more snow on the way.&nbsp;

Italy was also still stuck in sub-zero temperatures as conditions left a number of major roads blocked owing to snow and black ice as forecasters warned northern and central regions would see little immediate improvement.

Many schools remained closed and local authorities told people to remain indoors unless they urgently needed to travel.

Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia and Croatia saw some improvement but two people died overnight in Poland as temperatures plunged to a low of -27 Celsius (-16.6 Fahrenheit). They were set to remain in some areas as low as -17 across the day even as forecasters spoke of a relative weekend thaw.

Folldal, a small village in central Norway, saw a record European low for recent days of - 42 Celsius during the night. Even so, residents used to harsh conditions were sanguine.&nbsp;&quot;Life is generally ongoing,&quot; mayor Hilde Frankmo Tveren quipped to broadcaster TV2.

After heavy snowfall and deadly blizzards lashed Europe across Thursday, conditions marginally improved in some regions

Europe's deep freeze, which has cost some 60 lives over the past week, showed little sign of ending Friday as a shivering continent awaited a sliver of weekend respite from the chaos wrought by a brutal Siberian weather system. After heavy snowfall and deadly blizzards lashed Europe across Thursday, conditions marginally improved in some regions - but temperatures generally remained sub-zero, forcing more major delays on roads, railways and at airports. Geneva's busy airport announced it had re-opened shortly after midday "despite the unfavourable meteorological conditions", having warned earlier it faced staying shut for a second consecutive day as snowstorms continued to lash the Swiss city. Airport authorities warned, however, of further "delays and cancellations. Switzerland has seen the mercury plummet to records of up to minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) in the ongoing blizzard, which has also impacted air, road and train transport around Europe and even covered usually balmy Mediterranean beaches with a blanket of snow. In France, 21 departments, mainly in the northwest, remained on alert for snow and black ice as the vicious cold snap -- which British media have dubbed "the Beast from the East," the Dutch the "Siberian Bear" and Swedes the "snow cannon" -- maintained its grip. Over the past week, the freezing conditions have claimed 59 lives according to an AFP toll - 23 in Poland, seven in Slovakia, six in the Czech Republic, five in Lithuania, four in France, at least three in Spain, two in Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia and one in Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden. The cold threw a spanner into the works of British Prime Minister Theresa May's plans to give a speech on Brexit in the northeastern city of Newcastle. May elected to stay put in London given the transport mayhem, which saw motorists stuck in their cars around Manchester in the northwest and troops deployed overnight in Hampshire in the deep south to aid other drivers battling fresh snowfalls and icy gales. Also having to change their plans were Andrew Waring and his wife, Daniella, who gave birth to baby daughter Sienna on the side of a snowbound main road outside the northeastern town of Darlington. Mr Waring delivered the child on the roadside after they realised they would not reach the hospital in time, paramedics dubbing Sienna the #A66snowbaby after the road where she emerged into the world. An ambulance then took the family to the hospital. "Having been present at the birth of our two other children I just copied what I had seen then," Andrew Waring told the BBC. In Ireland, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy tweeted that "blizzard conditions have now passed", advising people they could now venture outdoors while still exercising "extreme caution". Even so, Dublin airport remained closed until at least Saturday in Ireland, where some 24,000 people remained without electricity Friday morning. The country battled to get over the worst of a combination of the cold blast and Storm Emma, which has also been battering western Europe and was doing its worst over Britain after moving up from further to the southwest. Temperatures in London and Dublin remained just below freezing around midday, with Britain's Meteorological Office forecasting more snow on the way. Italy was also still stuck in sub-zero temperatures as conditions left a number of major roads blocked owing to snow and black ice as forecasters warned northern and central regions would see little immediate improvement. Many schools remained closed and local authorities told people to remain indoors unless they urgently needed to travel. Elsewhere in Europe, Serbia and Croatia saw some improvement but two people died overnight in Poland as temperatures plunged to a low of -27 Celsius (-16.6 Fahrenheit). They were set to remain in some areas as low as -17 across the day even as forecasters spoke of a relative weekend thaw. Folldal, a small village in central Norway, saw a record European low for recent days of - 42 Celsius during the night. Even so, residents used to harsh conditions were sanguine. "Life is generally ongoing," mayor Hilde Frankmo Tveren quipped to broadcaster TV2.

Europe's 'deep freeze' continues, several flights cancelled

A wintry blast of freezing temperatures swept across Europe on Sunday, with a biting wind from Siberia claiming four lives and endangering the continent&#39;s homeless -- with the worst yet to come.

The &quot;Beast from the East&quot;, as the phenomenon has been dubbed by the British media, is expected to bring chilling winds from Russia over the next week that will make it feel even colder than thermometers indicate.

The cold snap has already been linked to several deaths, as well as postponing an Italian football match and causing traffic chaos.

In France, where temperatures were forecast to drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and feel as low as minus 18C over the coming days, fears ran high for people living on the streets.

A homeless man in the city of Valence in the country&#39;s southeast was found dead on Sunday, and another man was found dead in his cabin in the suburbs of Paris on Friday.&nbsp;

France has opened up extra emergency shelters for the homeless, and in Calais in northern France, about 200 migrants were spared the cold on Saturday night.

Over a year after the French government razed the sprawling Jungle camp, there are still hundreds of migrants around the port of Calais, hoping to stow away on trucks to Britain.

&quot;I&#39;m lucky to be in here where it&#39;s warm, outside it&#39;s impossible because of the cold,&quot; 20-year-old Afghan Shafiq said.

Siberian express

Britain&#39;s weather service, the Met Office, forecast that northern England would have 10 centimetres (four inches) of snow over the next three days, amid temperatures that could feel as cold as minus 15 Celsius.

It also warned of widespread travel disruption, saying: &quot;Snow showers, already affecting eastern parts of England early on Monday, are expected to become more persistent and more widespread through Monday afternoon and evening.&quot;

The front page of the Daily Express newspaper on Friday warned: &quot;Wrap up warm! Freezing cold &#39;Siberian Express&#39; is roaring towards Britain.&quot;

Russia itself was not spared, with its meteorological service warning of &quot;abnormally cold&quot; temperatures until Wednesday and temperatures in the Moscow region expected to fall to minus 24 Celsius on Sunday night, and minus 35 Celsius in the centre of the country.

Two people died of the cold in Poland on Friday night, bringing the winter&#39;s toll to 46 since November, according to the centre for national security.

Frigid temperatures are also forecast throughout Germany, with a low of minus 22 Celsius in some Alpine valleys in the southern state of Bavaria on Monday.

Football game postponed

Heavy snow in the north Italian city of Turin caused a Serie A football game between Juventus and Atalanta to be postponed on Sunday.

Schools will be closed on Monday due to the snow in Rome, with minus 6 C forecast on Sunday night, and authorities advised drivers to avoid trips in potentially risky mountainous regions due to snow and ice.

In Austria, temperatures will drop below minus 20 C on Sunday night and feel even colder.

&quot;It will feel like minus 30,&quot; Stefan Kiesenhofer of the Austrian meteorological service ZAMG told the Oesterreich newspaper.&nbsp;

A cold snap like this &quot;comes every seven to 10 years,&quot; he said.

Hungary has been on alert since Saturday, while heavy snow closed some schools in Croatia on Saturday.

Schools were also closed in Romania&#39;s capital Bucharest, as well as three areas in the country&#39;s south, with more snowfall expected amid lows of minus 15 C to minus 20 C.&nbsp;

Pregnant women and dialysis patients in several parts of the country were encouraged to go to hospital to avoid being stranded at home in case of an emergency.

Spain&#39;s weather agency warned of &quot;significant snowfall&quot; on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

Warmer at the North Pole?&nbsp;

However a brave few did take advantage of the Siberian chill, with some adventurous Dutch ice skaters taking to the country&#39;s canals and lakes.&nbsp;

Dutch authorities have strongly discouraged skating on natural bodies of water, but said conditions may be more favourable after a few chilly days in the north of the country for those keen to emulate their Winter Olympians.

The freezing temperature also did not prevent a few hundred swimmers jumping into the Meuse river, which was 3 Celsius while it was minus 2 Celsius outside, in the Huy region of Belgium on Sunday morning.&nbsp;

But below average temperatures are not forecast everywhere.

Many areas across Europe could be colder than the North Pole this week, with the temperature at Cape Morris Jesup weather station at the top of Greenland having risen above freezing several times since mid-February, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

The cold snap has already been linked to several deaths, as well as postponing an Italian football match and causing traffic chaos

A wintry blast of freezing temperatures swept across Europe on Sunday, with a biting wind from Siberia claiming four lives and endangering the continent's homeless -- with the worst yet to come. The "Beast from the East", as the phenomenon has been dubbed by the British media, is expected to bring chilling winds from Russia over the next week that will make it feel even colder than thermometers indicate. The cold snap has already been linked to several deaths, as well as postponing an Italian football match and causing traffic chaos. In France, where temperatures were forecast to drop to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and feel as low as minus 18C over the coming days, fears ran high for people living on the streets. A homeless man in the city of Valence in the country's southeast was found dead on Sunday, and another man was found dead in his cabin in the suburbs of Paris on Friday. France has opened up extra emergency shelters for the homeless, and in Calais in northern France, about 200 migrants were spared the cold on Saturday night. Over a year after the French government razed the sprawling Jungle camp, there are still hundreds of migrants around the port of Calais, hoping to stow away on trucks to Britain. "I'm lucky to be in here where it's warm, outside it's impossible because of the cold," 20-year-old Afghan Shafiq said. Siberian express Britain's weather service, the Met Office, forecast that northern England would have 10 centimetres (four inches) of snow over the next three days, amid temperatures that could feel as cold as minus 15 Celsius. It also warned of widespread travel disruption, saying: "Snow showers, already affecting eastern parts of England early on Monday, are expected to become more persistent and more widespread through Monday afternoon and evening." The front page of the Daily Express newspaper on Friday warned: "Wrap up warm! Freezing cold 'Siberian Express' is roaring towards Britain." Russia itself was not spared, with its meteorological service warning of "abnormally cold" temperatures until Wednesday and temperatures in the Moscow region expected to fall to minus 24 Celsius on Sunday night, and minus 35 Celsius in the centre of the country. Two people died of the cold in Poland on Friday night, bringing the winter's toll to 46 since November, according to the centre for national security. Frigid temperatures are also forecast throughout Germany, with a low of minus 22 Celsius in some Alpine valleys in the southern state of Bavaria on Monday. Football game postponed Heavy snow in the north Italian city of Turin caused a Serie A football game between Juventus and Atalanta to be postponed on Sunday. Schools will be closed on Monday due to the snow in Rome, with minus 6 C forecast on Sunday night, and authorities advised drivers to avoid trips in potentially risky mountainous regions due to snow and ice. In Austria, temperatures will drop below minus 20 C on Sunday night and feel even colder. "It will feel like minus 30," Stefan Kiesenhofer of the Austrian meteorological service ZAMG told the Oesterreich newspaper. A cold snap like this "comes every seven to 10 years," he said. Hungary has been on alert since Saturday, while heavy snow closed some schools in Croatia on Saturday. Schools were also closed in Romania's capital Bucharest, as well as three areas in the country's south, with more snowfall expected amid lows of minus 15 C to minus 20 C. Pregnant women and dialysis patients in several parts of the country were encouraged to go to hospital to avoid being stranded at home in case of an emergency. Spain's weather agency warned of "significant snowfall" on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Warmer at the North Pole? However a brave few did take advantage of the Siberian chill, with some adventurous Dutch ice skaters taking to the country's canals and lakes. Dutch authorities have strongly discouraged skating on natural bodies of water, but said conditions may be more favourable after a few chilly days in the north of the country for those keen to emulate their Winter Olympians. The freezing temperature also did not prevent a few hundred swimmers jumping into the Meuse river, which was 3 Celsius while it was minus 2 Celsius outside, in the Huy region of Belgium on Sunday morning. But below average temperatures are not forecast everywhere. Many areas across Europe could be colder than the North Pole this week, with the temperature at Cape Morris Jesup weather station at the top of Greenland having risen above freezing several times since mid-February, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

Icy blast from Siberia sweeps across Europe

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Europe's 'deep freeze' continues, several flights cancelled

Icy blast from Siberia sweeps across Europe