At least eight people have died in cold weather over the weekend in Poland, officials say.

The deaths bring the total number who have died due to the cold since November to 48.

Temperatures sank to -20C in some parts of Poland. The frosty conditions are set to continue, and authorities have called on citizens to help the elderly and homeless, who are particularly vulnerable in winter.

Meanwhile in Moscow temperatures have dropped to this winter's low despite the approaching spring.

The Meteorological Office said on Monday the mercury in the Russian capital dropped to nearly -20C on Sunday night, the coldest night this winter.

Meteorologists are forecasting unusually low temperatures for early March.

Roman Vilfand, chief of the Russian Meteorological Office, told the Interfax news agency that Muscovites should brace themselves for frosty weather in early March and could only "count on the warmth of the soul," not higher temperatures outside.

Moscow earlier this month saw what has been described as the strongest snowfall on record when more than a month's average of snow fell on the city, turning streets into snowdrifts.

Snow and freezing temperatures have a grasp on some parts of Germany as meteorologists reported a record lows of -27C on the Zugspitze mountain in the Alps.

The German Weather Service said overnight temperatures were also low in the south and east of the country, where they went down to -15C in parts.

The German news agency dpa reported that in the northern city of Bremen, at least 10 flights were cancelled due to snow.

Along the Baltic coast in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern several cars crashed on icy streets, injuring at least four people.

Croatia, meanwhile, has been gripped by freezing weather, with towns along most of the Adriatic coast waking up to temperatures below freezing. The cold spell has closed schools in the north-west, and heavy vehicles were banned from all roads leading toward the coast./thewest.com.au