Parts of the US have experienced their first cold blast of the winter this week with severe travel disruption amid plunging temperatures and heavy snowfall.
The snowstorm, which wreaked havoc upon the mid-west and north-east on Monday, led to schools closing and the cancellation of about 2,000 flights.
Two men in Detroit died after using snow-blowing machines to clear snow from their driveways.
Another arctic blast is expected to affect similar parts of the mid-west and north-east as the week draws to a close, with temperatures in Chicago expected to dip as low as -16C (3F).
More unusually cold weather has been affecting parts of Australia this past week. Despite midsummer approaching in the southern hemisphere, the state of Victoria has been experiencing colder than average conditions, with snow settling on upland areas.
The recent highs of 17C in Melbourne are in fact seven degrees lower than expected for December, with hail storms forecast in neighbouring southern parts of the state.
Add in the strength of the wind and wind-chill factor, and the apparent temperatures were in single figures. Overnight frosts were also reported on Mount Hotham and Mount Buller.
Meanwhile, more than 800 tourists were stranded on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the Indian archipelago, as heavy rain caused flooding. Naval ships carrying food, fresh water and medical supplies, were sent to rescue the tourists, although the rescue work itself was delayed due to the “unfavourable weather conditions”. The ships eventually resumed their mission once the weather cleared up.
