Incredible pictures show the freezing start to the year in Europe

It has been a freezing cold start to the new year for Europe.

Most of the continent has been hit by snow and freezing temperatures, and the cold snap seems set to continue for the next few days at least.

Southern Europe - where people normally enjoy mild temperatures even during the winter months - has been hit especially hard.

Snow has covered beaches in Greece, and ice has trapped ferries in Turkey and Italy.

The icy spell has also been a deadly one in many countries.

In Poland, 10 people died on Sunday due to hypothermia bringing the death toll linked to the cold weather to 65 since November, AFP reports. Extreme cold is still gripping some regions of the country with below minus 30 degrees.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria have also reported deaths from hypothermia, mostly amongst homeless people and asylum seekers, many of whom still live in very precarious shelters and tents.

Many countries have also reported deaths linked to poor weather causing traffic incidents. On Monday, snowfall in Istanbul paralysed traffic for a third straight day and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

With the cold snap set to continue for at least a few more days, here is a look at some incredible images of the freezing weather: