Freak weather wreaking havoc in many parts of Greece

Rain on Friday morning resulted in traffic jams on many key roads in and around Athens, as a freak weather system kept schools closed in many parts of the country and had authorities on alert for flooding and wind damage.

In the capital motorists were backed up in traffic jams on many parts of Kifissias Avenue, Alexandras, Vassilissis Sofias, Pireos and main streets in the city center, as well as on the Attiki Odos ring road and near exits to the national highway in the north and west.

The rain comes on top of three days of gale-force winds that knocked out power lines in several Attica neighborhoods and other parts of the country on Thursday, felled trees, tore the roof off a school in western Athens and prompted hundreds of calls to the fire service for the removal of debris.

Ferries had been banned from sailing on Thursday, but service returned to normal later...