Relatively moderate temperature was registered in Europe till late January but cold front moved from the northeastern area after January 27, causing drastic temperature drop.

The eastern and central Europe suffered most and the southern and the western areas were also swept by biting cold, resulting in increased death toll and traffic disruptions.

In Ukraine over 60 died of cold and more than 1,140 had frostbitten as of Feb. 2. The country recorded minus 33 degrees Celsius, the lowest in 6 years.

The freezing cold that hit Romania and Poland also claimed 22 and 29 lives each.

Death toll was reported and more than 11,000 citizens were cut off from the outer world in Serbia. 12 cities were put on an alert.

The temperature in the eastern areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina went down to minus 31 degrees Celsius while in Bulgaria minus 30 degrees.

Heavy snow blocked off roads in the vast northern and central areas of Italy and electricity supply was cut off for 50 000 citizens of Corsica of France.

Biting cold and heavy snow also affected Asia.

Minus 40 degrees Celsius cold persisted for more than 10 days in the most north China. Temperature dipped to an all-time record low of minus 46.9 degrees Celsius in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region in 46 years.

Minus 40 degrees Celsius biting cold that hit Kazakhstan caused school shut-downs in Astana City, North Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan and Akmola Region.

Azerbaijan registered rare night record of minus 20 degree Celsius in some areas.

In Japan heavy snowfall killed 56 people as of February 2. More than 4 meters of snow accumulated in Aomori City while some areas in Yamagata and Niigata prefectures had snow over 3 meters deep, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Over 50 cm of snowfall was recorded also in Istanbul of Turkey, where it is usually rare to see snow.

According to weather experts, such phenomenon is due to high temperatures around the North Pole.

They said that the current damage by cold weather is the worst in decades.