- Title: Cold snap hits Greece causing chaos across country
- Date: 8th January 2017
- Summary: GRAMMATIKO, GREECE (JANUARY 8, 2017) (REUTERS) STREET, PAVEMENTS, TREES AND HOUSES COVERED IN SNOW AT EASTERN ATTICA SUBURB HOUSES AND HILLS BLANKETED WITH SNOWFALL HOUSES COVERED IN SNOW / GREEK FLAG WAVING VARIOUS OF HOUSES, ROAD AND SIDEWALKS BLANKETED WITH SNOW VARIOUS OF SNOW PLOUGHS CLEARING STREETS FROM SNOW VARIOUS OF MAN AND WOMAN SHOVELLING AND SWEEPING SNOW FROM THEIR YARD VARIOUS OF ELDER MAN SHOVELLING SNOW FROM SIDEWALK SNOW PLOUGH CLEARING STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) MARATHONAS MUNICIPALITY COUNCIL MEMBER, YANNIS BOUSOULAS, SAYING: "The situation is difficult, there's a lot of snow; we had a difficult night. Fortunately we have leased machinery and together with the municipality's machinery we managed to keep the roads open and avoid problems but the snow is too much." ARTEMIDA, GREECE (JANUARY 8, 2017) (REUTERS) BEACH BLANKETED WITH SNOW HOUSES AND SEASIDE COVERED WITH SNOW/ LIGHT SNOWFALL VARIOUS OF BEACH UMBRELLAS ON SEASIDE BLANKETED WITH SNOW / LIGHT SNOW FALLING
- Embargoed: 23rd January 2017 12:42
- Keywords: Greece Lesbos weather cold snap migrants snow
- Location: GRAMMATIKO, ARTEMIDA AND LESBOS, GREECE
- City: GRAMMATIKO, ARTEMIDA AND LESBOS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Environment,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA0015Y7Z1AF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A severe cold spell continued to grip Greece on Sunday (January 8) plunging temperatures below zero, blanketing many regions across the country in snow, disrupting transport and leaving areas without power.
Snow also fell in the eastern and northern suburbs of the Greek capital where temperatures fell to -4 Celsius degrees and local authorities used snow ploughs, cranes and sacks of salt to keep the roads open and prevent frost and ice forming on streets and sidewalks. Motorists have been advised to use snow chains.
The situation was similar elsewhere, including in the village of Grammatiko.
"The situation is difficult, there's a lot of snow; we had a difficult night. Fortunately we have leased machinery and together with the municipality's machinery we managed to keep the roads open and avoid problems but the snow is too much," said Yannis Bousoulas, a council member at the municipality of Marathonas.
The second cold snap to hit the country in less than ten days also swept through Greece's islands where some 15,000 migrants are stranded in overcrowded camps.
On Lesbos island a heavy snowfall covered the Moria migrant camp on Saturday (January 7) forcing men and women to sleep rough in thin tents without enough heating or supplies to keep warm despite aid workers installing electric heaters and distributing additional thermal blankets and sleeping bags.
The United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) asked Greece on Friday (January 6) to transfer the migrants to the mainland or other European countries due to the cold temperatures and poor living conditions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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