Temperatures hit record low in the US

Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a “polar vortex” brings more freezing weather.

A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow.

It has been blamed for 16 deaths in recent days and the cancellation of more than 3,700 flights this weekend.

Schools in Chicago are among those closing as officials tell people to stay indoors on Monday.

Meanwhile, a plane from Toronto slid into snow as it turned onto a taxiway after landing at New York’s JFK airport on Sunday.

No-one was hurt in the incident but all flights at the airport were suspended for two hours because of icy runways.

The plunging temperatures result from the polar vortex, an anti-clockwise pool of cold, dense air.

Forecasters say temperatures in the north and central US could feel as low as -60F (-51C) with the effect of wind chill.

Authorities have warned residents to remain indoors, both for their own safety and to keep roads clear for snow removal.

In Canada, thousands of people on the island of Newfoundland remain without power due to a transformer fire linked to heavy snow.

“The coldest weather in years will be making its presence known from the Upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic region for the beginning of the work week,” the US National Weather Service said in a statement.

-punch