12 incredible photos of the harsh winter enveloping Europe

Tourist attractions are closed. Thousands are without power. Villagers are trapped in snowy conditions. The winter weather in Europe is also to blame for around 200 deaths, as some regions face unprecedented temperature drops – temperatures plummeted to their lowest levels for years in Italy, with -10C recorded in Milan.

Why is it so cold in Europe? It’s being blamed on an intense area of high pressure over much of Europe, extending from Siberia in the east to the UK in the west, according to media reports.

Photographers on Flickr are quick to capture the wintery weather in their communities, but it’s not all gloom for some intrepid winter lovers.

Below are several of the most stunning and intriguing photos falling under the Creative Commons license:

Trudging through heavy snow in Switzerland

keepps

A snow storm hitting a section of London

belkus

Bikes covered in snow in Helsinki, Finland

mattimattila

A truck covered in snow in East Sussex, UK

aspexdesign

A tree without leaves, covered in ice, in Poland

didmyself

The Roman Forum blanketed in snow

stefanorometours

A frozen pond in Switzerland

nchenga

Ice forming into new shapes in Lempäälä, Finland

Leo-setä

Skiing north-west in the direction of France’s St-Martin-de-Belleville, beyond the Crêtes restaurant, from the Tougnete summit

richardcjones

A family enjoying some sledding fun Colchester, UK

HHA124L

Got any interesting photos of winter in Europe? Share in the comment thread below!