Athens was battered by a snowstorm that disrupted air, ground and maritime traffic on Friday and also caused occasional electricity cuts. Public bus service was disrupted and flights in and out of Athens airport were delayed or cancelled. All ferry and boat services from the mainland to the islands was halted.

The cold wave which has also gripped most of Turkey for the past three days, with abundant snowfall covering the northwest, the Anatolian east, and central regions, will last for at least the next two days. Heavy snowfall brought traffic to a dead halt on Thursday in much of Istanbul as the Turkish metropolis was paralyzed beneath 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) of snow.