Big freeze at the Niagara Falls delights tourists

It is one of the most breathtaking consequences of the Arctic chill that has been gripping North America.

Parts of the iconic Niagara Falls have frozen over, creating a winter wonderland for tourists on the US-Canadian border.

“We come here in the summer, not that often in the winter,” said one visitor, taking in the extraordinary sight. “But when we knew the ice was here, we thought we had better come and take a look. It is a beautiful day.”

“Beautiful, beautiful sight,” another sightseer added. “So we had to come and see it today before it melted.”

Like much of North America, temperatures locally have plummeted. Taking into account the wind chill factor, temperatures as low as -33 Celsius have been reported reported. But the extreme cold won’t last much longer, the forecasters say, with a January thaw on the way.