"Hypothermia has been identified at the Estonian Institute of Forensic Science (EFSI) as the cause of death on seven occasions this month," EFSI Deputy Director of Development Marika Väli told BNS on Tuesday.

Raul Adlas, chief doctor of Tallinn Emergency Medical Service (TEMS), said last week that the onset of very cold weather has caused a lot of extra work for their ambulance crews, who have had to deal with an average of five to ten potential victims of hypothermia in Tallinn and surrounding areas per day.

Adlas is urging partygoers in particular to ensure that all members of their group are accounted for and nobody is left on their own outside while under the influence of alcohol.

"It must also be remembered that the old-school cure against the cold only works in a healthy and strong person in small amounts — alcohol does not warm you up, but rather dilates blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, thereby causing the feeling of warmth," he explained.

The Estonian Weather Service is forecasting overnight lows of up to -29 degrees Celsius across the country over the next few days.