Many drivers in Germany and Britain are blocked by snow, spent the night in cars

To the north and east, the snow can reach up to 15 inches [15 cm].

Several schools that have been opened have also been closed in southeast England and Lincolnshire.

In Germany dozens of drivers have spent the night in their vehicles, stranded by snow on a highway northwest of Germany, local police reported today.

These truck drivers and truck drivers were trapped for about 30 kilometers near Bielefeld (Norrhein-Westphaen) because of heavy snowfall in Germany for more than 48 hours”, police say.

Some trucks came out of the street because of the condition of the road, causing the highway to close in both directions.

Most have spent about 16 hours in their vehicles in the cold. Rescue forces provided them with blankets and hot drinks.

The overall situation is difficult”, a Bielefeld police spokesman for the press said. The “will take a long time for the traffic jam to ease”, a spokeswoman for the region's highway control centre added.

Drivers were also trapped for a part of the night in central Germany on the A4 highway.

Transport Minister Andreas Schauer called on residents of northern and central Germany to avoid driving out at least until Wednesday.

“These snowfalls and frosts have caused delays and cancellations on the material network”, according to Deutsche Bahn. After further rainfall expected in the north on Tuesday and Wednesday, these rainfall will later decrease in intensity. The cold is expected to remain intense. Snowfalls have also continued in other European countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, passing through Central Europe. The situation appears difficult in much of Great Britain, south of England to Scotland in the north, passing from part of Northern Ireland.