Swathes of eastern Europe have been hit by high winds and snow. Here, a woman is seen through a frozen window as she walks away from the exit of a subway station in Bucharest, Romania
Authorities said a number of roads throughout northern Serbia were blocked by snow drifts, with cars lining up in columns for several miles. Authorities warned motorist not to travel unless strictly necessary.
Over 1,000 people had to be rescued by the army and emergency services after becoming stuck on a road linking Serbia to Hungary for 15 hours.
With wind speeds gusting at over 100 miles an hour, forcing the government to impose truck traffic bans on vehicles travelling from Hungary or Romania.
A military helicopter rescued nearly two dozen people from their cars on a road about 30 miles northeast of the capital Belgrade and up to sixty people were stranded overnight in their vehicles elsewhere.
Predrad Maric, head of the Interior Ministry's emergencies department, said, "It is very difficult, even for machinery. The rescuers are walking towards stranded cars."
Parts of the river Danube were inaccessible to river traffic after a barge carrying gravel overturned in high winds.
Areas of France and Italy have been issued flood alerts after heavy rain.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Italian city of Pisa, after the city's Arno river threatened to break its banks.
Italian soldiers place sand bags to reinforce the banks of the Arno in Pisa
In France, widespread flooding is expected on the Atlantic coast due to high seas.
© BOB EDME/APFrench volunteers walk on the streets with a boat after heavy rain in Dax, southwestern France
Ten other French departments were also on alert for rising water levels.
Many European countries have experienced stormy weather during the past month, with the UK having its wettest January on record.
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