Goes to 5 the number of US weather victims, the snowstorm “paralyses” 8 states

At least 5 people have lost their lives, and dozens of others have been injured as a result of a heavy snowstorm that has swept several states in the United States. Thousands of families have lost electricity.

The US National Weather Service estimates that some 60 million people have been affected by the storm. A polar vortex that began south over the weekend caused snow and strong wind.

The state of emergency has been declared in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Washington and part of New Jersey.

Schools were closed in many cities. Millions of students were forced to stay at home. At least 250,000 homes were left without power as strong winds damaged infrastructure.

A thin layer of ice covers many roads and highways, which have caused a large number of traffic accidents. Storms also forced thousands of planes to suspend flights.

The storm is projected to move eastward into the Atlantic Ocean. The temperatures are expected to remain below-zero by the end of this week.

The polar vortex of the extremely cold air usually orbits the North Pole but sometimes heads south to Canada and the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Studies have found that a fast - heated Arctic is partly responsible for the rising frequency of polar vortices that expand its expansion. /euronews