Hundreds of people in Britain mopped up flooded homes on Friday after a powerful storm that scoured northern Europe with hurricane-force gusts kicked up the biggest tidal surge in 60 years, swamping stretches of shoreline. 
 
 The rising seas prompted evacuations along the eastern English coast, with 1,400 properties flooded and at least a half-dozen communities at great risk of exceptionally high tides and large waves. 
 
 In London, the Thames Barrier — a series of huge metal plates that can be raised across the entire river — closed for a second time in as many days to protect the city from the surge. 
 
 Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said there would be "exceptionally high tides" on Friday and Saturday, though they were not expected to reach Thursday's levels, when water swamped seaside promenades and flooded homes. In the town of Hemsby in eastern England, several houses fell into the sea as waves eroded cliffs. 
 
 People walk during snowfalls caused by hurricane-force Xaver at Old Town in Gdansk, northern Poland. The death toll from Xaver sweeping across northern Europe rose to eight on Friday. (Renata Dabrowska/Reuters) 
 
 Britain's Environment Agency said that sea levels late Thursday in some areas exceeded those in a 1953 flood in which hundreds died. But flood defences and evacuation warnings meant that only two people were killed in storm-related accidents. 
 
 Accidents linked to the storm that roared across Europe Thursday have killed at least eight people, from Britain to Sweden, Denmark and Poland. 
 
 Traffic ground to a halt on icy highways and train service was cancelled in large parts of Sweden. Tens of thousands of people lost electricity. Strong winds knocked down the city of Vaxjo's Christmas tree. 
 
 Scores of flights were cancelled at airports in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Poland. More than 1,000 people spent the night at Copenhagen airport where 200 flights were cancelled Thursday and about 70 on Friday. 
 
 Viking ships threatened 
 
 Strong winds threatened a collection of Viking ships recovered from the bottom of a Danish fjord in the 1960s and put on exhibition. Museum workers boarded up the expansive windows of the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, 40 kilometres west of Copenhagen, amid fears water from the fjord would rise and shatter the glass. 
 
 Police in Denmark ordered the evacuation of people in the towns of Frederikssund and Frederiksvaerk, 40 kilometres northeast of Copenhagen, because of imminent flooding. The towns lie on the Roskilde fjord, which has seen water levels rise noticeably. 
 
 Hamburg airport, where almost all flights were cancelled late Thursday, was open for business on Friday but cautioned that there would be cancellations because of wind and snow. Trains northward from Hamburg to Denmark and some other destinations were cancelled. 
 
 Tidal floods that hit Hamburg in the early morning were akin to those that drenched the city in 1962, causing the worst flooding in living memory. But higher and better coastal defences along the North Sea these days meant the impact of this week's storm on the city was negligible, with no reports of major damage or loss of life. 
 
 A further tidal surge is expected to hit Hamburg Friday evening. 
 
 Soccer club Werder Bremen, whose game Saturday against German champion Bayern Munich had been in doubt, announced on Twitter Friday morning that flood water hadn't topped a levee near its stadium and the match would go ahead. 
 
 Meanwhile, wind farms in Germany reaped benefits from the storm. 
 
 According to European Energy Exchange AG, an energy trading platform, production of wind energy in Germany surged in recent days. 
 
 At 1 p.m. local time the country's vast network of on- and offshore wind turbines produced 25,205.8 MW of electricity — the equivalent of 25 nuclear plants and almost 35 per cent of the country's total energy output that hour. ||||| Story highlights Washington, Philadelphia will see snow Sunday, warm up Monday 
 
 Very low temperatures remain across the United States 
 
 Dallas should thaw out a little on Sunday 
 
 Few takers for free football tickets in Dallas 
 
 A frigid winter storm system that put Dallas in the deep freeze will hit the East Coast on Sunday. Lucky for those people, it should be a one-day affair. 
 
 Snow, ice or freezing rain will fall on Washington, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston on Sunday, the National Weather Service said. On Monday, temperatures will rise into the 40s and any accumulation should start to melt, the weather service predicts. 
 
 Folks in other parts of the country will need an extra blanket on the bed. Unseasonably cold weather will continue. 
 
 On Sunday, temperatures are expected to only reach about 10 degrees in the northern and central Rockies, the northern Plains and the upper Midwest. Sleet and freezing rain is forecast from the Tennessee Valley to Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. 
 
 Parts of Texas, the Upper South and the Midwest socked by the winter storm will warm up just a little bit on Sunday. The Weather Service said the temps will rise into the high 30s and 40s, but drop below freezing again Sunday night. 
 
 How cold was it? On Saturday Southern Methodist University gave away tickets for its football game with Central Florida but didn't get many takers. All but a few seats in the stadium were empty. 
 
 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Snow covers buses for the Baltimore County Public Schools in Towson, Maryland, on Tuesday, December 10. Snow and ice snarled travel across parts of the United States, hitting major airline hubs in the Northeast. Hide Caption 1 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A mirror reflects light snow on a sidewalk in New York on December 10. Hide Caption 2 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A man makes his way across a parking lot during a snowstorm in Philadelphia on December 10. Hide Caption 3 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Snow trucks plow along Route 1 in Plainsboro, New Jersey, on December 10. Hide Caption 4 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A car drives up a snow-covered street in Brooklyn, New York, on December 10. Hide Caption 5 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A woman walks past Independence Hall during a snowstorm in Philadelphia on December 10. Hide Caption 6 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Baltimore Gas & Electric lineman Jim Thompson repairs a power line that was damaged by a tree limb in Towson, Maryland, on Monday, December 9. Hide Caption 7 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – An American Airlines jet is de-iced at O'Hare Airport in Chicago on December 9. Wintry conditions have caused numerous flight cancellations and delays. Hide Caption 8 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A woman strolls past the Capitol Building in Washington on December 9, after an overnight ice storm hit the region. Federal agencies opened two hours late because of the weather. Hide Caption 9 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Emergency personnel respond to an accident on southbound Interstate 43 in Mequon, Wisconsin, on Sunday, December 8. Hide Caption 10 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Juan Carlos tries to free his vehicle from the snow on December 8 in Wilmington, Delaware. Hide Caption 11 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles face off during heavy snow in Philadelphia on December 8. Hide Caption 12 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A towing company employee works where a semitrailer jackknifed off Interstate 94 in Racine County, Wisconsin, on December 8. Hide Caption 13 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Vehicle traffic on I-35 in Sanger, Texas, is at a dead stop due to icy road conditions on Saturday, December 7. Hide Caption 14 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Motorists struggle to cross the icy bridge leading to Minnis Drive in Haltom City, Texas, Saturday, December 7. Large ice ruts made passage difficult. Ice remains Saturday after low temperatures refroze sleet from Friday's storm that had begun to melt. Hide Caption 15 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Moisture from low-lying clouds coats trees in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park with a layer of ice and frost on December 7. Hide Caption 16 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A fountain stands frozen in Chandler's Cove at South Lake Union in Seattle on Friday, December 6. Hide Caption 17 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A pedestrian walks down the street after a heavy snowfall on December 6 in Carbondale, Illinois. Hide Caption 18 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Icicles hang from mailboxes in Owensboro, Kentucky, on December 6. Hide Caption 19 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A worker at Wilson Air Center de-ices an airplane before it takes off from Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 6. Hide Caption 20 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – As freezing rain falls, Tyshun Lindsey, 15, rings a bell to get drivers' attention while selling bags of pecans in Memphis on Friday, December 6. Hide Caption 21 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A man clears a path for Christmas tree shoppers in Indianapolis on December 6. Hide Caption 22 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A tree, split in two, lays on two homes on December 6 in Dallas in this photograph taken by CNN iReporter Earl Wallace IV Hide Caption 23 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A gust of wind collapses Joseph Mezo's umbrella as he walks to work on December 6 in light sleet and ice conditions in Dallas. Hide Caption 24 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Matthew Eller catches air after sliding down a hill and jumping a ramp in Arlington, Texas, on December 6. Hide Caption 25 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – A bronze statue is covered in ice December 6 at Grand Prairie Municipal Airport in Grand Prairie, Texas. Hide Caption 26 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Traffic moves slowly along an ice-covered highway in Dallas on December 6. Hide Caption 27 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Jeff Chupp walks his ice-covered bicycle along Great Southwest Parkway in Grand Prairie on December 6. Hide Caption 28 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – Stephen LeFlore scrapes ice from his windshield in McAlester, Oklahoma, on Thursday, December 5. Hide Caption 29 of 30 30 photos: Photos: Ice storm spreads across U.S. Ice storm spreads across U.S. – An American Airlines employee hands out cots to stranded airline passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on December 5. Hide Caption 30 of 30 
 
 JUST WATCHED Winter storm shuts down Dallas Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Winter storm shuts down Dallas 02:51 
 
 JUST WATCHED Huge ice storm slams southern states Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Huge ice storm slams southern states 02:29 
 
 The high temperature at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport Saturday was 26 degrees -- the coldest high temperature ever recorded there on December 7 and the coldest December day in Dallas/Fort Worth in 23 years, CNN affiliate WFAA-TV reported. 
 
 At least seven people have died in storm-related incidents, with the Texas State Patrol reporting two weather-related fatalities on Saturday but providing no details. 
 
 In Lewisville, about 25 miles north of Dallas, the driver of a pickup lost control on an icy road, spun out of control on a road over Lake Lewisville, went over a guard rail and landed in the water. Firefighters dove into the frigid water and towed the truck to the bridge. The unidentified driver died. A passenger was killed Thursday when a vehicle lost control and crashed into another car in Hockley County, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. 
 
 In Arkansas man was killed late Thursday when a tree fell on his camper in Pope County, the Department of Emergency Management said. Highway Patrol officials in Oklahoma blamed at least one death, in Muskogee, on the weather. In New Mexico, one person died when a semi crashed near Clines Corners. 
 
 The storm took a toll on travel, causing hundreds of car crashes and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of departures at Dallas/FortWorth International Airport. The FAA said Saturday operations had returned to normal. Abandoned cars littered the interstate outside Dallas. 
 
 Winter came much earlier than usual in many sections of the nation. 
 
 Farmersburg, Indiana, recorded up to 10 inches of snow Thursday and temperatures fell into the single digits at night. "This was early for us to have this much measurable snow late in the fall, but has happened before," Mark Ivy told CNN iReport. "It is more the cold that is unusual." 
 
 In East Kingsford, Michigan, iReporter Jason Asselin said he's covering blankets to keep you the cold. "In December, our average temperatures are in the 20s," he said. "Currently it is zero degrees outside." 
 
 Across the High Plains and into the Great Lakes, temperatures were expected to be 10 to 35 degrees below average, with wind chill values predicted to reach 35 to 45 degrees below zero in some areas. 
 
 From the central Appalachians through central New England, snow is expected into early Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 It was cold in Memphis, Tennessee, for a second straight day, with a high of 24 degrees. The weather will be a little warmer Sunday and Monday, with the mercury creeping up to 36 and 43 degrees, respectively. 
 
 The governors of Tennessee and Arkansas declared states of emergency ahead of the worst of the storm.
– Real-live winter in the South? You bet: Unlikely ice storms hammered southern states yesterday, depriving thousands of power, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, and killing at least five people, CNN reports. It's not over, either: Storms are poised to strike regions from Dallas to Memphis until tomorrow and Arkansas through Monday. The north will also get its share, with sleet or snow hitting central New England through the central Appalachians into today, and blanketing the nation's capital tomorrow. In other details: Dallas/Forth Worth had it worst, canceling nearly 700 flights and the downtown Dallas holiday parade for the first time in 26 years. The storm cut out power for more than 200,000 customers. Temperature swings were shocking: In Hot Springs, Arkansas, a temperate 75-degree day on Wednesday turned into an ice storm yesterday. Most fatalities occurred on icy roads, including the death of Granby, Missouri, Mayor Ronald Arnall, whose car veered off a state highway in southern Missouri and hit a tree, Reuters reports. Oklahoma alone has recorded about 116 storm-related injuries. A new storm struck the Pacific Coast yesterday, dropping pretty heavy snow on Portland. Even Las Vegas might see snow today—up to 2 inches. But it's not so bad by comparison: In northern Europe, a powerful storm with hurricane-force winds kicked up a huge tidal surge and killed 8 people, CBC News reports.