Ice storms

Unrelenting storms have pummelled the United States over the past week, leading to at least 50 weather-related deaths, officials and U.S. media reported Friday, as large swathes of the country brace for new winter wallops.

Amid expectations of snowfall in Istanbul, a prominent meteorologist forecast a rise in temperatures in the coming week, while the eastern regions will continue to experience cold weather in the days ahead.

A bone-chilling Arctic cold front is sweeping across the United States, bringing temperatures to an unprecedented minus 56 degrees Celsius in certain regions. Montana and the Dakotas are grappling with the most extreme conditions, resulting in reported casualties.

With temperatures dropping sharply due to the new cold wave coming from Iceland, citizens in Istanbul are witnessing the season's first snowfall, as chilly weather will continue in the coming days.

A double cold spell is just around the corner, with storms, snowfall, gusty winds and a drop in temperature across most of the country, according to the national weather service, EMY.

In particular, the first wave is expected Tuesday and Wednesday, while the second will make its appearance on Friday and Saturday and is expected to be more severe.

A second wave of bad weather is expected within the next few days to hit Greece, with a significant drop in temperature and snowfall even at lower altitudes, according to meteorologists' forecasts.

January 8 is set to bring a shift in weather patterns across Bulgaria, with cloudy skies and rainfall anticipated throughout the region. A moderate to strong northwesterly wind, veering to north-northeasterly in the Northeast, will usher in a drop in temperatures, marking the transition to colder conditions.

The lowest temperature is from zero in the south to 10 in the north of Serbia, and the highest from 10 to 16 degrees Celsius. Temperatures remain above average, and snow is possible only on high mountains above 1,600 m above sea level.

Europe is grappling with transportation chaos and severe flooding attributed to the impact of Storm Gerrit. Parts of the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Germany have witnessed inundation as several rivers overflowed their banks.

A messy mix of snow and rain wreaked havoc in parts of the country, as roads were closed to traffic in the province in the eastern and southeastern Anatolian region due to heavy snowfall and blizzards causing low visibility.

Transportation was severely disrupted in the provinces of Tunceli, Hakkari, Kars and Sivas, with some vehicles stranded on the roads.