In Attica, snowfall has decreased significantly, although it is still snowing in some areas in the north and east of the prefecture.
While the sun has made an appearance in the west of the region and sunshine is expected tomorrow, temperatures will remain very low. Especially in the morning hours we expect frost.
Light snowfall is recorded today in Evia, Eastern Sterea, north eastern Peloponnese, Crete and the Cyclades, which is expected to decrease further in the afternoon and by the evening limit to southern Evia, the Cyclades and Crete.
Tomorrow morning snowfall will ease significantly, except in the Cyclades and Crete, while in the afternoon it is expected to weaken completely. Winds are blowing very strong today, at 9 Beaufort in the northern and central Aegean, and are expected to weaken late in the afternoon. In other areas winds will reach 6 Beaufort and occasionally 7 Beaufort. Temperatures will rise slightly tomorrow, but there will be heavy frost overnight and in the morning.
Stuck on Attiki Odos
Since late yesterday afternoon, an operation by the army, the fire brigade, the police, as well as volunteers of the Red Cross and the Smile of the Child is underway in order to help hundreds of drivers who were trapped for hours in their vehicles on Attiki Odos due to the storm “Elpis” that is sweeping the country.
Some of them even count up to 24 hours trapped in their cars, without food, water and heating.
The Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, said in a statement on Greek public television (ERT) that 1,800 vehicles have been extricated and about 1,200 remain trapped. “With the help of the army and the police SWAT team, 1,040 wool blankets were distributed. The trapped drivers are overwhelmed. Some have been trapped for almost 20 hours,” Mr Theodorikakos said, noting that about 400 people were taken to the airport to ensure warmth, while some were taken to a hotel on Attiki Odos.
Power cuts in many parts of Attica
The storm caused severe power supply problems in several parts of Attica. The president of the Union of Technicians of PPC, Kostas Maniatis spoke to ERT about the significant problems observed in the electricity supply in Attica in more than 25 areas due to the storm, during which many trees fell on the cables. “I want to apologize to those who were left without power. We are making a great effort to restore the problems. We have more than 5,000 faults across Attica, on several PPC lines. There are serious faults and the few technicians we have are trying to restore them”, Mr Maniatis said.
“The main problem is access. The roads are not open and we cannot reach the points in time. It takes us more than three or four hours to reach points that would otherwise take an hour. We understand how difficult it is for people not to have electricity or heating”, he told ERT. The chairman of the PPC technicians also said that all technicians are working hard, trying to repair the damage.
According to Kostas Maniatis, “there are more than 20-25 areas with power supply problems in Attica: Metamorfosi, Heraklion, Nea Ionia, Maroussi, Agia Paraskevi, Psyhiko, Peania, Drafi, Pikermi, Anthousa, Dionysos, Ekali are some of the areas that since yesterday afternoon, in the midst of a storm, were left without power and thus without heating”.
