Snow hits Germany and Poland

Severe winter weather has also gripped parts of Europe, with freezing temperatures, icy roads and snowfall hitting Germany and Poland.

In the northern German city of Hannover, an autobahn was temporarily shut because of the icy conditions. The German Weather Service has forecast temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, over the next few nights, and snow is expected to continue until the end of the week.

The cold weather also has Poland in its grip, with temperatures falling as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius in the northeast. The sub-zero temperatures are also raising fears of flooding near Plock, 100 kilometers northwest of Warsaw, where a backlog of ice on the Vistula River has caused the level to rise. Icebreaker ships have been working since Tuesday to dislogde the ice.

Benches are covered with snow in front of the Berlin Cathedral  (Berliner Dom) in Berlin December 31, 2009. REUTERS/Thomas Peter