Two killed as brutal snow hits Europe

A brutal weather system tagged the beast from the east has led to the death of two people in Romania and transport systems brought to a standstill across Europe as a result of snow and sub-zero temperatures.

The condition saw flights cancelled, road and rail transport disrupted and schools closed.

A Siberian weather system forecasters have called the "beast from the east" brought the coldest temperatures for years to many regions and the freeze is expected to continue for much of the week.

An 83-year-old woman from Adancata was found collapsed in the snow and died on the way to hospital in southern Romania, the Institute for Emergency Situations (ISU) said.

Also, a 65-year-old man was found dead late on Monday in the eastern county of Suceava, an official told state news agency Agerpres.

Record snowfall of 182 cm (72 inches) paralysed the northern Croatian town of Delnice as temperatures hit a low of -20 degrees Celsius in Zavizan on the Velebit mountain.

Schools were closed in Bucharest and ten Romanian counties as well as across western and central Croatia.

In north western Bosnia, the roofs of dozens of houses collapsed under the weight of snow in the Unsko-Sanski canton.

A rare snowstorm in Rome on Monday prompted Italian authorities to call in the army to help clear the streets.

As the storm moved south on Tuesday, Naples saw the most snow since 1956. It blanketed the beach and covered fishing boats in small city ports such as Santa Lucia and Mergellina.

The snow also paralysed traffic and train services as schools were closed in Naples and much of southern Italy.