In Bucharest, which received 50 centimetres (20 inches), only the main boulevards were passable, partly because abandoned vehicles were blocked in by piles of snow.

The area worst affected was the southeast of the country where snow storms have been raging for the past 36 hours and where several trains -- including two from the capital Bucharest -- had to be cancelled.

Passengers faced waits of up to two hours as other trains struggled to cope with the heavy falls.

Dozens of roads were blocked, mainly in the Calarasi, Ialomita, Buzau and Tulcea regions despite the non-stop efforts of snow ploughs.

There were also delays to flights around the country and the airport in the eastern city of Costanta was closed.

Snow also caused damage to power lines, cutting electricity to homes in at least fifty communities across the country.