US polar vortex: Hell freezes over as temperatures plunge in Michigan

Hell has frozen over.

The town of Hell, Michigan, that is, as the polar vortex continues to hold the US in its icy grip.

Temperatures in the town, located around 60 miles (96km) west of Detroit, have plunged as low as -26C (-14.8F).

According to a town Facebook page, Hell has not had as much snow as in previous winters "but we are much colder".

"Yes, Hell has frozen over," it said.

Snow warning as UK temperatures hit seven-year low

The temperature in Braemar, Scotland, dipped to -14.4C (6.08F) and Britons have been told to expect "significant" snow

Other states have fared worse - in Minnesota temperatures could drop as low as -70C (-94F) because of wind chill.

Meanwhile, the weather office in Des Moines, Iowa, has urged residents "to protect your lungs from severely cold air, avoid taking deep breaths; minimise talking".

Chicago, a 240 miles (370km) west of Hell, could experience its lowest ever temperature on Thursday if the mercury drops below the -32C (-25.6F) recorded in 1985, the National Weather Service said.

Eight die as polar vortex brings bites in US

Frostbite and lung damage are among the dangers facing Americans as a polar vortex brings extreme cold to much of the country

The Illinois city was colder than the Canadian village of Alert, one of the world's most northerly inhabited places.

At least eight deaths have been blamed on the sub-zero weather in the US, including an elderly man in Illinois who was found dead several hours after he fell while trying to get into his home.