A winter storm in the US has brought deadly weather conditions to areas of the country not usually associated with the cold. Freezing rain in Texas caused chaos on interstates, with a huge crash involving more than 130 vehicles on the I-35 in Dallas, resulting in the deaths of six people. Nearby Austin also succumbed to the icy conditions, with more than 20 vehicles involved in a pile-up.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, a thunderstorm spawned a violent tornado at a coastal tourist resort last Thursday. The twister hit the town of Çeşme, causing 16 injuries, one of them serious. Cars were flipped over, a crane was toppled onto a construction site for holiday villas, and at least four boats were capsized.
Moscow is no stranger to the cold and snow in winter, but recent snowfalls have neared record levels. By last Saturday, snow depths had reached 56cm in the city, nearing the record of 60cm. The problems caused by deep snow were exacerbated by winds gusting up to 40mph (65km/h), with 60,000 people deployed to help clear the streets. The few flights operating from Moscow airport were affected, with 50 flights delayed on Saturday, and three cancellations.
