Europe on Feb. 28 was gripped by a blast of Siberian weather, which is reported to have caused at least 24 deaths and which carpeted even palm-lined Mediterranean beaches with snow.
The blast of cold weather sent temperatures plunging across much of Europe, causing headaches for travelers and the closure of schools and businesses.
Only Portugal, Spain, the southern tip Italy, Greece, Turkey and the islands of the Mediterranean saw temperatures rise above freezing, as the blast of icy polar air spread over the continent. Even Iceland, beyond the freezing air mass, saw temperatures higher than those recorded in most European countries.
In Britain, the cold weather event has been dubbed the Beast From the East, with the hashtag #TheBeastFromTheEast trending on Twitter as users posted photos of the unusually cold weather.
Meanwhile, Kyiv saw a continuation of the cold snap that has hit Ukraine over the last week, with daytime temperatures in the Ukrainian capital hovering at about -12 degrees Celsius.
