Winter chill grips Italy

The wreck of the stricken Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia is battered by strong winds and rough seas off the coast of Giglio island.

Salvage and rescue operations have once again been brought to a halt because of the bad weather.

Much of Italy is bracing itself for another weekend of heavy snow and plunging temperatures, especially in northern parts of the country.

Here in the Emilia Romagna region, some buildings have collapsed because of the weight of snow that has fallen.

Rescuers and firefighters are being dispatched to deal with the damages and assess the dangers.

Meteorologists have issued an adverse weather warning for the next 24-36 hours, with snowfall expected in many parts of the country over the week-end.

Italy's interior ministry has advised against all non-essential travel.

Nick Rowlands, Reuters.