The death toll rose to at least 40 today as the Arctic freeze held its grip on Europe.

Road and rail travel was hard hit and ducks had to be rescued from frozen lakes.

South-eastern Europe, meanwhile, was spared the snow and ice - but was instead struggling with some of the worst flooding in a century.

Entire villages in Montenegro were submerged by the rising waters, with Interior Minister Ivan Brajovic describing the floods as "unprecedented."

With a dozen more deaths in Poland, the total number of people in Europe who have died of exposure in recent days has risen to at least 40.

It's "an early start to the winter because we are still in the autumn season," said Omar Baddour, a scientist with the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva.

"It's not very, very unusual, but it is an extreme winter spell that is going to last a few days."

Baddour said that the cold comes from north-south winds pushing an Arctic chill over the continent, a phenomenon also seen at the start of last year's long and winter. Most of the time, winds blow from west to east over Europe.

But he said it's too soon to say what the early winter weather - which usually sets in around Christmas - might herald for the continent this year.

In many parts of Europe, train services reported more heavy disruptions because of icy tracks, but air traffic was returning to normal in many places.

The Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was again operating normally, but many areas of France faced traffic problems because of the snow.

In Poland, police reported 12 deaths overnight, raising the death toll there to 30 over the past three days. Police were carrying out street patrols in hopes of getting drunks and homeless people into shelters since they make up the bulk of those who freeze to death each year.

Animal lovers in Poland were also mobilising, with some opening their cellars to stray cats and others pulling ducks from frozen lakes. Foresters have also been putting out fodder for bison, elk and other forest-dwellers.

In the Czech Republic, the death toll rose to four after a man was found frozen in Prague. In Germany, three people have now been killed, while authorities in northern England found the bodies of two elderly residents believed to have frozen to death.

Authorities in Austria reported one death earlier in the week. The weather delayed some flights at Vienna's airport, where officials said a crew of about 80 people were working non-stop to clear runways and de-ice aircraft.

Just across the border in Slovakia, the snow caused traffic jams in the capital, Bratislava, while a hospital in the eastern city of Presov treated dozens for injuries blamed on the snow.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in three Balkan countries - Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro - and evacuated hundreds of people after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding along the Drina River - the worst in 104 years.

But floodwaters receded significantly overnight in Bosnia, leaving a trail of mud and debris in many areas.