Tarmo Sulg, head of Tallinn's environment department, said drivers should select a speed: "Lower than the speed limit, depending on the weather conditions. We also recommend starting off slowly, to allow time to adapt to winter conditions.

"It is also very important to maintain a safe distance and avoid hazardous maneuvers," he added.

The sleet and snow has also prompted drivers to get their tires changed to winter variants – mandatory from December 1 – if they had not already done so.

"For those still driving on summer tires, we urge you to assess the road conditions and the necessity of driving at all," Sulg added.

"We also ask pedestrians and cyclists to exercise caution, too, as unexpected slippery conditions can also crop up on footpaths and cycle lanes," he went on.

City of Tallinn contractors will be carrying out preventative de-icing on major roads, though many sidewalks are the immediate responsibility of the owner of any property adjacent to that section,

Salt, or grit of 2-6 mm diameter should be used, to render sidewalks safer, though ash, sand or chlorides are not permitted for this purpose, the city government says.

The city government also distributes granite aggregate free of charge to housing associations and owners of private dwellings, for that purpose, while over 13 tonnes of salt have been used to date by the city's private contract partners.

Tallinn saw its first actual snowfall overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, continuing the following night, and with nighttime temperatures now hovering around zero, this will spell icy conditions early mornings, even if the snow has not yet settled.

Friday in the capital is expected to be clear with no precipitation, though with temperatures below freezing in the small hours.

Naturally the above advice applies nationwide in Estonia.

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