In pictures, Athens plunged into an exceptional snowstorm


Heavy snowfall fell on Greece including its capital, Athens, which was adorned with white on Monday.

Snow blanketed much of Greece on Monday, down to the southern island of Crete, due to a cold snap with temperatures that at times dipped to -14 degrees Celsius, causing power and road cuts . Snow fell for the first time this winter in the center of Athens, which led to the closure of the Greek Parliament as well as schools.

Air and maritime transport were not impacted, but the circulation of metro trains to the airport of the capital was disrupted. “This is an extreme situation for our country,” commented Christos Zerefos, a professor of atmospheric physics, on the public television channel ERT.

Several Greek islands affected

Costas Lagouvardos, the research director at the National Observatory in Athens, meanwhile told TV channel ANT1 that the capital had not experienced such weather conditions since 1968. Snow even fell on several islands of the Aegean Sea (between Greece and Turkey), isolating certain mountain villages on those of Andros, Naxos and Tinos and covering the beaches of Mykonos.

Heavy snowfall also occurred on the island of Euboea, north of Athens, already ravaged by fires this summer. Municipalities there have stepped up efforts to keep major roads open, while many villages have suffered power cuts.

To read :New York wakes up to snow for the first time this year

Snowfall is expected to continue on Tuesday, with temperatures below zero, civil protection said.

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