Two men became the first casualties of the winter over the weekend as snow, which has covered south and central Poland will move north on Monday, with temperatures plunging.

In the northern Pomerania, snow will reach five centimetres deep, with the rest of the country experiencing between 10 and 20 centre meters. In the Sudeten mountains in the south up to 50 cms are expected.

During the day temperatures will range from minus 4 to plus one degrees centigrade. In places, winds will reach up to 75 km / h.

The winter has already claimed two lives in Poland. Over the weekend a 70 year-old man died from the cold in Lipnica Wielka, Malopolska in the south and a 40 year-old man died in Lodz in the centre of the country.

The situation is set to get worse, say weather forecasters, with temperatures on Tuesday plunging in the tara mountains to minus 20 degrees. (pg)