Eastern and central Europe continue to shiver under a blanket of heavy snow Friday , with more deaths reported after bitter cold overnight temperatures . Ukraine is probably the worst affected , with Poland , Romania , Serbia and Belarus also suffering much more severe winter conditions than usual . Thirty-eight people have died of hypothermia in Ukraine over the past 24 hours , the state-run news agency Ukrinform reported Friday morning , citing government ministries . The latest deaths take the total number killed in Ukraine in the cold spell that started January 27 to 101 , the news agency said . Meanwhile , temperatures in the Ukrainian capital , Kiev , continue to plummet . Friday morning 's lows dipped to 27 degrees below zero Celsius ( 17 degrees below zero Fahrenheit ) , and it was the ninth day in a row that temperatures had dropped below minus 15 degrees Celsius ( 5 degrees Fahrenheit ) . Twenty-nine people had died in Poland as of Thursday , according to the publicly funded Polish Radio 's news website . Other cold-related deaths have been reported in Serbia , Romania and elsewhere in the past week . Are you there ? Share your story with iReport . Joe Lowry , spokesman for the International Red Cross Europe Zone , said many people across the region are in urgent need of help . `` If 163 people have frozen to death on the European streets , it is a disaster , '' he told CNN . The homeless and elderly are among the most vulnerable , Lowry said , as well as those who often find themselves on the margins of society , such as alcoholics or people with mental health issues . He said the Red Cross is helping people by providing warm clothing , boots , hot drinks and food , as well as shelter in heated tents and moral support . Local authorities must also react effectively to the crisis to save lives , he said . The sudden start to the bitter cold weather after what had been a mild winter for some parts of Eastern Europe caught many people unaware , Lowry said . He added : `` The human body is not designed to withstand temperatures of -32 degrees Celsius ( about -25 degrees Fahrenheit ) . If you are not well nourished , if you do n't have the right clothes to wear , if you do n't have shelter , you can not possibly stand them for long . '' The International Red Cross has released just over €108,000 ( $ 141,000 ) from its disaster relief fund to help deal with the emergency , with about one-third going to Belarus and two-thirds to Ukraine , an online statement says . More funds are needed to help pay for supplies , fuel for volunteers ' vehicles and publicity to get information out to those in need , Lowry added . CNN meteorologist Mari Ramos said the challenge now faced by many people is that the cold spell is lasting so long . The first reports of heavy snow came from Romania on January 26 , Ramos said . Now , although temperatures are becoming more moderate , the snowfall will be very heavy , particularly for Bosnia , Serbia , Hungary and Romania . Some areas could get an additional half meter ( 20 inches ) of snow . Ramos advises people to be `` weather aware '' in how they dress , making use of layers and keeping dry if at all possible . In extreme temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius ( minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit ) or lower , exposed skin can freeze in less than 30 minutes , she said -- and even faster if clothing is wet . People should wear a hat and gloves , and cover their ears , nose and mouth to help them regulate their temperature , she said . A state of emergency has now been declared in 23 municipalities in Serbia because of the snow , the state-run news agency Tanjug reported Friday . Six people have died from the cold in Serbia , and one is missing and presumed dead , the news agency Tanjug quoted emergencies official Predrag Maric , of the country 's interior ministry , as saying Thursday . About 11,500 people have been cut off from the world by heavy snowfall , Maric told the agency . Europe 's cold blast extends all the way to Africa , with rare snow falling in parts of the Sahara Desert in Algeria and Morocco , said CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller . More snow is expected this weekend for some areas that see snow fewer than once a decade . Cold and snow warnings stretch from Portugal to Finland , with 25 countries posting warnings , Miller said . It 's been snowing in central Italy for almost a week and there is more forecast for the next two days . Ferrari 's plans to unveil a new car for the 2012 Formula One season Friday were dashed by heavy snowfall at the Italian team 's Maranello factory . The legendary brand had planned to showcase the new car , which they hope will win them a first drivers ' championship since 2007 . Eastern England will see significant snowfall this weekend , including London which could see 5 to 10 centimeters ( 2 to 4 inches ) accumulate . Temperatures will rebound this weekend in Eastern Europe , but a significant snowstorm will make travel conditions treacherous from the Aegean Sea all the way to Moscow , Miller added .
The Red Cross releases $ 141,000 in emergency funds to help those in need . Rare snow is forecast in parts of the Sahara Desert in Algeria and Morocco . Serbia declares a state of emergency in 23 municipalities due to the weather . - January 10 : A magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes off the coast of Indonesia, killing at least 1,150 people and injuring more than 10,000 others.