Heavy snowfall blankets Athens; vaccinations postponed
Unusually heavy snowfall has blanketed central Athens, with authorities warning residents particularly in the Greek capital’s northern and eastern suburbs to avoid leaving their homes on Tuesday morning
Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Unusually heavy snowfall has blanketed central Athens with authorities warning residents particularly in the Greek capital’s northern and eastern suburbs to avoid leaving their homes Tuesday morning.
Health authorities announced they were postponing all coronavirus vaccinations across the greater Athens region of Attica for Tuesday. One line of the Athens subway that runs partially above ground to the northern suburbs was halted, while most buses were withdrawn from the capital’s streets for safety reasons.
Snowplows and salt trucks were cleaning the avenues of central Athens in an effort to keep them open to traffic.
Snow is common in Greece’s mountains and in the north of the country, but much rarer in the capital, particularly heavy snow. On balconies and in the streets, some Athenians emerged cautiously outside, snapping photos of the scene.
Parts of Athens experienced electricity cuts from downed power lines that authorities said they were working to restore.
The snowfall in the center of Athens began late Monday and continued through the night.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.