Drivers were trapped in their cars in freezing conditions for more than 16 hours on a motorway in northern Germany as parts of Europe were hit by the heaviest snow in years.

Traffic on a motorway near the German city of Bielefeld was brought to a standstill by heavy snowfall overnight on Monday into Tuesday, with some drivers stuck for at least 16 hours, Reuters reported, citing local media.

The bottleneck, caused by lorries stuck in the snow and stretching for 37 kilometers, had still not been cleared by Tuesday morning, police said.

Video footage showed shivering drivers huddled in their vehicles, complaining of going for hours without food as temperatures plunged to minus 12 degrees Celsius.

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Severe jams were also reported in Hesse, where some drivers were stuck in their cars for 15 hours, according to police.

Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer asked residents to avoid setting out on journeys until Wednesday at the earliest.

Northern and eastern Germany were particularly badly hit on Sunday and Monday night, with blizzard-like conditions and some of the coldest temperatures recorded in years.

Police in Saxony-Anhalt said a man had probably frozen to death after he was found buried in snow next to his tractor.

In Bielefeld, a man was found dead on a snow-covered road on Monday, though emergency services said initial findings suggested he had suffered a medical emergency.

In the southern city of Nuremberg, many residents had their heating cut off because of a fire in a power station.

Train services across the country have been severely delayed or cancelled because of the winter weather, with snow and ice clogging the rails.

Snow is expected to decrease in the coming days, according to forecasters, but temperatures as cold as minus 18 degrees Celsius mean travel conditions will remain hazardous.

With the wind-chill factor, temperatures could feel as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius at night, forecasters have said.

Heavy snow has also fallen in other countries across central and northern Europe, including Czechia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. 

Parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland were placed on "amber alert" on Tuesday, with major disruptions expected to road and rail travel, according to the Met Office weather service. 

Some coronavirus vaccination centers in England were forced to close – including major hubs in Ipswich and Colchester – hampering Britain's roll-out. 

Heavy snow on Tuesday morning drew many families to London's parks for sledging, while parts of northern and eastern England were expecting up to 15 centimeters.

Schools, currently open only to vulnerable children or those of essential workers, were also closed in southeastern England and Lincolnshire.