ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Heavy snowfall has covered the Acropolis and other ancient monuments in Athens and stopped COVID-19 vaccinations in the Greek capital on Tuesday as many services across the country came to a standstill.
The snow, an unusual sight in the city of more than 3 million residents, also halted most public transportation services, while fallen trees caused landslides in several suburbs.
Portions of the Greek highway were also closed and most ferry services to the islands were canceled, and flights from regional airports to Athens were suspended.
Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis, spokesman for the fire service, said the service had received more than 600 calls for help in greater Athens.
“The calls mainly concern sawn-off trees and the transportation of people trapped in their vehicles to a safe place, but also to transport kidney dialysis patients to receive treatment,” he told state TV.
“Vaccinations have been postponed, but we have helped transport doctors and medical staff to where they are needed, and we have helped power technicians reach damaged electric pylons in areas where access was difficult,” he said.
Power outages and water shortages were also reported in central Greece, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with emergency leaders to help residents in black areas and snow-capped towns.
Snow is common in the mountains of Greece and in the north of the country, but much rarer in the capital, especially heavy snow. On the balconies and in the streets, some Athenians cautiously came out and took pictures.
The snow arrived while Athens and several other parts of Greece remained in the lock due to a recent increase in coronavirus infections. The closure closed schools, most shops, and kept residents indoors during a curfew.
Some kids skipped online classes Tuesday to play in the snow.
Outside parliament, in the city center, orange-colored snowplows cleared streets of ice and snow, while presidential guards, dressed in traditional pleated kilts and pompom-pointed shoes, were given heavy wool coats to brave the cold.
The cold, which has already caused snowstorms in much of Europe, kept freezing in Athens on Tuesday, but is expected to suddenly peak at 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit). ___ Follow Becatoros at https://twitter.com/ElenaBec and Gatopoulos at https://twitter.com/dgatopoulos ___ Thanassis Stavrakis, Petros Giannakouris and Srdjan Nedeljkovic in Athens contributed.