It is a white-out across Europe this weekend, from north to south, proving deadly for the unprepared, and snarling up road, rail, and air traffic. Eight more deaths in Poland brought the toll to nearly 80 in the last nine days. Parts of France, Spain, and Italy that had escaped the cold snap had abundant snow dumped on them overnight. A coach came off the road in eastern Spain, killing five and injuring 30, seven seriously.

The Swiss had their biggest snowfall in 20 years, with over a metre falling in the south of the country. Northern Italy also had heavy snowfalls, cutting off many villages. Five more people died in Romania, bringing to 55 the number of victims in the past week. And avoid the Rhone valley in France, where convoys of lorries have brought the motorway to a near-standstill.

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