Plunging temperatures and heavy snowfall have swept through large parts of Europe and the icy snap is due to hit Ireland on Wednesday night.
At least 20 deaths have been blamed on the cold weather including 12 in Poland and eight in Italy.
Most of the deaths in Italy were homeless people living on the street, including two homeless men of Polish origin in Florence and Milan, local media reported.
Three hostels run by the Vatican in Rome are staying open 24 hours a day during the cold snap and sleeping bags and gloves are being handed out to the homeless, Vatican Radio cited the pope's almoner as saying.
Parts of Sicily and southern Italy have also been blanketed by the unusually heavy snowfall.
In Poland, 12 deaths have occurred since the beginning of 2017. Police said multiple deaths were caused in traffic accidents as heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures affect road conditions.
In Turkey, hundreds of flights in and out of Istanbul's main Ataturk airport were cancelled due to a heavy snow storm, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport.
The cold front also hit the milder shores of Greece with many regions experiencing heavy snowfalls. Transport has been disrupted and parts of the country have been left without power.
The drop in temperatures is due to arrive in Ireland on Wednesday.
Met Éireann said: "There will be a noticeable change on Wednesday night as very cold air moves in from the northwest. Scattered showers will become increasingly wintry with sleet or snow likely."
Temperatures will dip below zero and spells of frost, sleet and snow are expected through the weekend.
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Meanwhile in Russia, hundreds of hardy cyclists braved temperatures as low as -27C in Moscow to complete a mass bike ride through the snow-bound Russian capital.
Participants - some dressed in outfits of Santa Claus and his Russian equivalent Ded Moroz - pedalled along the bank of the frozen Moscow river in front of the Kremlin walls.
The Moscow authorities said over 500 people took part in the 15km event - designed to promote cycling in the sprawling city - after organisers refused to call it off despite a danger warning over the freezing temperatures.
