The African Country of Tunisia presided upon by Beji Caid Essebsi have been disturbed with heavy snow which has trapped around 1,000 motorists in north-western Tunisia, the prime minister's office said today.

Ceoafrica gathered that drifts blocked roads including a major highway in the province of Jendouba yesterday evening.

It was further gathered that the government opened 10 emergency shelters in schools and sports centres, distributed food and blankets to people trapped in a “”monster traffic jam” and also warned the public not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

The Governor of Jendouba, a state in Tunisia, Akram Sebri, said "considerable quantities of food and liquid gas" had been stockpiled "as a precaution".

Winter snowfall is not unusual in the North African country's highlands, but Tunisia has been hit by particularly heavy blizzards from Europe in the last week, whose temperatures have plummeted to -5 degrees.

The blizzards hit some of Tunisia's poorest regions including the mountainous western province of Kasserine, which authorities say children and frail people were evacuated to areas closer to hospitals.

A nine-year-old girl died in early January in Jendouba because of the cold, meteorologists say cold temperatures, high winds and heavy snowfall are set to continue at least until the middle of the week.