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Heavy snowfall caused traffic chaos, especially in Athens
Photo: STELIOS MISINAS / REUTERS
A severe onset of winter has wreaked havoc in Greece and Turkey.
Istanbul Airport canceled all flights until Monday evening due to a heavy snowstorm.
Due to adverse weather conditions, flight operations are "temporarily suspended for safety reasons," said the Turkish airport authority.
According to Turkish media reports, it was the first time since its opening in 2019 that Istanbul Airport was completely closed due to bad weather.
Because of new heavy snowfall from Monday evening, the authorities advised the residents of the metropolis to stay at home as a precaution.
It also snowed in large parts of Greece on Monday - even on the southern island of Crete.
The low Elpis, named after the Greek word for hope, brought nighttime low temperatures of minus 14 degrees Celsius to the capital Athens.
Schools in Greater Athens, vaccination centers and Parliament have been closed.
Beaches covered in white snow
On the resort island of Mykonos, beaches lay under a white blanket of snow.
On other Cycladic islands like Andros, Naxos and Tinos, hilltop villages were cut off from the outside world.
On the island of Euboea, where devastating forest fires had raged in the summer, the power went out in some villages.
The snow also hampered metro services to Athens Airport.
At the airport itself, many planes had to stay on the ground for safety reasons.
Flights between the island airports and Athens in particular were canceled, but some international connections were also affected.
Initially, however, there were no problems with air and ferry traffic.
According to government spokesman Giannis Ekonomou, the authorities are working flat out to clear highways and other major roads.
According to civil defense, the snowfall should continue until Tuesday.
bam/AFP