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Greece hit by cold snap, ferry adrift off Mykonos island

Xinhua, February 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Greece was hit by a cold snap on Tuesday with snowfall disrupting traffic in mountainous areas in the northern and central prefectures, farmland damaged by floods and strong winds keeping ferries docked at ports across the country.

With winds blowing up to 10 on the Beaufort scale, Greek ferry "Melina II" was left adrift due to engine failure off Mykonos Island. The vessel was not carrying any passengers and all seven crew members were safe, as a tug boat offered assistance, local Coast Guard authorities said.

Temperatures dropped to minus 11 Celsius degrees in the city of Florina in northern Greece, while motorists were advised to use snow chains even in some areas of the northern suburbs of Athens.

No serious injuries or major power cuts have been reported, but about 10,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged as rivers near the Greek-Bulgarian border have burst their banks due to intense rainfall, local officials said.

Amidst the adverse weather conditions, municipalities in Athens and other major cities across Greece have opened emergency shelters to provide aid to the homeless. Endit