ATHENS, GREECE: A severe weather front has affected Greece, with low temperatures and snowfall in many parts of the country, including the capital Athens and several Aegean islands.
Officials have warned the public to limit their movements outside to essentials on Monday and Tuesday, while schools shifted to online-only classes. Coronavirus vaccination appointments scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at a children’s hospital in Athens were rescheduled to a different location later in the week.
The ice on the marble pillars of the ancient Acropolis in central Athens was falling thick and fast. Authorities sent emergency alerts on cell phones to the wider Athens region on Monday morning, warning of severe snowfall over the next few hours and calling on people to avoid any unnecessary movement. Snow chains were mandatory for cars in some parts of the northern side of the capital.
Snowfall is common in the Greek mountains and the northern part of the country, but is more rare in central Athens and the Aegean Islands. Last year, the Greek capital was hit by a major snowstorm, causing serious problems, power outages in some areas for days and making all roads impassable without snow chains. Thousands of trees were uprooted by the weight of the snow.
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