The deaths of eight people in Italy have been blamed on freezing weather as blizzards and dangerously cold conditions continue across Europe.

One man died in the basement of an unused building in Milan, while another man was found on a street flanking Florence's Arno River.

As snow fell in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines was forced to ground hundreds of flights for the third day running.

A dozen major roads remained closed in Romania, again because of snow, while some ferry services between Romania and Bulgaria across the River Danube were cancelled.

Authorities said schools would be closed in many areas on Monday and Tuesday, including the capital, Bucharest.

Police in Bulgaria said a passenger train derailed on Sunday after it hit a pile of snow.

Four Portuguese nationals were killed when a bus skidded on an icy road in eastern France early on Sunday.

Black ice across northern and western Germany has caused a number of accidents and injuries.

Firefighters in the city of Hamburg said they had been called to weather-related accidents 415 times over the weekend.

One person died in a car accident near Hanover when his car skidded against a tree on an icy road, German media reported.

City authorities shut down the public transport system, while across the country people were told to stay at home until the severe weather eased.

While Ireland has yet to be affected by the clod snap, Met Éireann is forecasting much colder weather for the later part of this week.