Tropical storm Gordon, downgraded from a hurricane, faded as it skimmed past Spain and Portugal before heading to the British Isles, officials said today.

An early winter cold spell brought heavy snowfall to parts of Europe this weekend, paralysing public transport and roads and cutting electricity to tens of thousands of households.

FIREFIGHTERS in the Brazilian town of Angra Dos Reis worked through the night searching for bodies in the mud that swept down from the surrounding hills, burying houses and killing at least 39 people.

Mudslides triggered by torrential rains have swept through a southeastern Brazilian city, burying houses and killing at least 39 people.