Winter has come early to parts of Europe. Parts of Poland, Serbia and Germany have already seen their first snowfalls, some of them heavy.

In the south of Poland, 20 centimeters of snow fell on the resort of Zakopane and the surrounding Tatra Mountains overnight on Monday. It was still falling Tuesday.

Temperatures have dropped to below zero, and weather forecasters say the snow could last until Friday.

Agniseszka Chudzik, Tourirt, said, "It's definitely too early for me for winter and snow. Winter should wait at least another 20 days. We are here on holiday and I would like to see some autumn."

Heavy snow has also fallen in parts of Serbia, as temperatures dropped to between three and zero degrees Celsius.

The depth of snow was as much as 20 centimeters on Mount Kopaonik. In the mountainous Uzice region temperatures hit freezing.

Early snowfall has also caused havoc for motorists and pedestrians in Germany, leading to a number of accidents and several injuries.

Authorities in Bosnia said snowfall knocked out power lines in the capital Sarajevo, leaving thousands of households in the dark. Roads have been blocked by fallen trees.