Heavy snowfalls disrupt Greece

2008-02-18 12:16

Athens - Heavy snowfalls left about 200 villages stranded across Greece on Monday and forced airport authorities to cancel dozens of flights.

Civil defence authorities were on alert, and problems with power and water supply were reported across the country as Greece was gripped by the second day of a winter storm.

Schools and universities were shut throughout the greater Athens area and in many other parts of Greece.

About 200 villages, most on the southern island of Crete, were stranded by the heavy snowfall.

Between 10-15 centimetres of snow blanketed the centre of Athens, an unusual occurrence in this usually mild-weathered country.

The subway and suburban rail line was the only public transport in the capital.

Even near central Athens' snow-covered Acropolis, only cars using snow chains could use the roads.

Dozens of international and domestic flights to and from the Athens airport were cancelled, while police banned all trucks from highways, except those transporting fuel and salt to de-ice the roads.

Temperatures had been forecast to plunge to -15°C in parts of northern Greece on Monday.

Meteorologists said the wave of bad weather was expected to ease later in the day.

- AP