Greece blanketed by heaviest snowfall in 12 years

Image

ATHENS - The heaviest snowfall to hit Greece in 12 years triggered power cuts, disrupted transport, and trapped people in their homes on Monday.

A cold front swept across the country from Saturday, driving temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) in northern Greece and causing rare snowfall in Athens after a period of unseasonably warm weather.

The head of the National Meteorological Service, Theodoros Kolydas, said the snowfall was the “fiercest, in terms of intensity and volume, in 12 years”.

In the town of Kapandriti, a few miles north of the capital, snow-blanketed roads, and vehicles.

“I haven’t (seen) this in 10, 12 years. It’s a lot of snow,” resident Panagiotis Oikonomou said as he cleared the entrance of his home with a shovel.

Power cuts were reported across mainland Greece and on islands off its eastern coast that were lashed by gale-force winds, the main power grid operator said.

At least six people have had to be rescued from the snow since Sunday, the fire brigade said.

Authorities briefly closed-off sections of highways and appealed to the public to avoid non-essential travel.

The meteorological service issued a severe weather warning on Monday as the cold front is forecast to persist until Wednesday, moving further south including to the Mediterranean island of Crete.

Related Articles

Two Navy SEALs have been lost at sea for a week after a night mission near Somalia. The US hasn't given up hope.

The pair were climbing aboard a vessel while on a mission in the Gulf of Aden when high waves knocked one into the sea, the AP reported.

  • World

    18-03-2024

  • 08:21AM

Media Shake-Up: Don Lemon’s Bold Move Thwarted by Musk’s Sudden Pivot on X

Don Lemon, in a response shared on X, expressed his dismay, hinting at a possible…

  • World

    14-03-2024

  • 02:27AM