Not only Russia: extreme cold and snow storms have caused trouble in Europe

And strong winds and heavy rains turned out to be deadly for Europeans

Severe frosts hit the European part of Russia. And extreme cold and snowstorms disrupted transport and closed schools in Scandinavia, while strong winds and heavy rain in Western Europe caused flooding and at least one death.

On Wednesday, temperatures in the Scandinavian region fell below -40 degrees Celsius for the second day in a row. In Kvikkjokk Orrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to -43.6C, the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years, Swedish news agency TT reported.

Extremely low temperatures, snowfall and gale force winds have disrupted transport throughout the Northern region, with several bridges closed and some trains and ferries suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed, the Associated Press reported.

Police across much of Denmark urged motorists to avoid unnecessary journeys as wind and snow hit the northern and western parts of the country.

A wave of cold air from Siberia and the Arctic region also hit western Russia, with temperatures in Moscow and other regions plummeting to -30 degrees Celsius, well below the average temperature in early January.

Officials in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other regions issued orange weather warnings, warning residents of possible health risks, the AP noted.

Mild but wet and windy conditions prevailed further south, where the storm wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe.

A UK driver has died after a tree fell on his car in western England. Gloucestershire Police said a man died following an incident near Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.

The storm, dubbed “Henk” by official weather services in Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, caused power outages, transport problems, property damage and disruptions across the UK.

More than 300 flood warnings were issued across England and Wales on Wednesday, while 10,000 homes remained without power. A severe flood warning has been issued for the River Nene at Northampton in central England, meaning there is danger to life. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at nearby Billing Aquadrome.

In the Netherlands, police near the city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell from his bicycle late Tuesday as strong winds swept through much of the country. The country’s water authority said a small section of a dam that regulates water levels was washed away Wednesday afternoon. Water flowed into the already flooded Meuse River near the city of Maastricht. The owners of several houseboats were evacuated as a precaution.

In France, heavy rains have hit the northern regions of Pas-de-Calais and Nord since Sunday, forcing the evacuation of about 200 people and knocking out power to 10,000 households, according to local authorities.

Roadways in the town of Blendekes have turned into waterways, and authorities on Wednesday warned residents in areas at risk of flooding to limit their movements until water levels recede.

Hundreds of emergency services personnel from across France mobilized to rescue people from flooded homes and clear roads, while reinforcements with personnel and equipment arrived from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Netherlands. Powerful pumps were deployed to divert up to 60,000 cubic meters of water from the worst-hit towns into the canal and lower water levels in the Aa River delta, the regional prefecture said in a statement.

The National Weather Service maintained flood and wind warnings for Thursday for several regions in northern France and its borders with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, with more rain and winds of up to 100 km/h forecast.

Parts of Germany were also battling flooding, which could be worsened by more rain in the worst-hit northwestern state of Lower Saxony.