At least 24 dead in the US by Arctic cold

At least 24 people have died in the U.S. after the Arctic frost continues to cover most of North America.

The worst hit area was Buffalo, in northern New York, where seven weather-related deaths and strong winds have hampered rescue efforts.

The storm has been raging for days. Over 250,00 US homes and businesses were left without power early Sunday.

The extent of the storm's conditions has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada to the south in Texas.

The winter storm of <x0cyclone” which occurs when the atmosphere drops, causing dense snow and winds has stopped travel across the country, reports the BBC.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled, preventing many people from arriving at their families at Christmas.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, originally from Buffalo, said: “This will go down in history as the most devastating storm of Buffalos. ”

Some of the seven dead in the area were found in cars and snow piles, county executive Mark Polocarz told Reuters news agency.

Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado.

More than 273,000 consumers in six New England states and 169,000 in North Carolina were left without power Saturday afternoon, according to the CBS network.

CNN praised the number of homes and businesses affected by 250,000 on Sunday.

The western American state of Montana is the coldest, with temperatures dropping in -45C.

In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebecu are carrying the main weight of the storm.

In Quebec almost 120,000 consumers were without electricity on Sunday. Officials say it will take several days for some houses to be reconnected to the network.