Winter rushed into Greece. This was due to the weather front Barbara, which brought heavy snowfall and gusty winds to many regions of the country. Transport – both road and sea – is significantly hindered.
The barbara weather front, which reached Greece, caused quite a storm over the weekend. It brought with it strong winds and snowstorms, which seriously hampered traffic, among others in Attica and in parts of the Peloponnese, reported the portal of the Greek daily “Kathimerini”.
Road complications
In Attica, in the southeast of the country, drivers must carry snow chains or other anti-skid equipment, police said. In addition, trucks weighing more than 3.5 tons have been banned on several highways, and several streets, including in the suburbs of Athens, have been temporarily closed.
Firefighters, policemen and soldiers patrol the streets of cities to help people with mobility problems if necessary. Heavy equipment is also in operation or ready for action in some regions of central Greece, including the island of Euboea, Magnesia, and also in Central Macedonia.
Ships stuck in ports
Due to strong gusts of wind, ship traffic was suspended in the ports of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio. In some places offshore, gusts were reported as high as nine on the 12-point Beaufort scale.
Due to the weather situation, on Sunday morning, representatives of the Greek civil defence, fire brigade, police and local authorities met.
Barbara Front
The Barbara atmospheric front is the result of a high pressure front over Europe extending from northwest Africa to Scandinavia, combined with low pressure over eastern and southeastern Europe that sent cold air masses towards the Balkans and Greece.
In early February, the media reported that this year’s January was one of the warmest on record for a large part of the country.
Main photo source: ENEX