Mount Parnassus

Snapshot one: In the center of Halandri, northern Athens, an area notorious for its parking problems, a driver leaves his car almost in the middle of the street and rushes off to do a spot of shopping. Meanwhile, cars are blocked as the bus can't pass, and when the driver finally returns, the gathered crowd greets him with some choice words.

Traffic police have been warning drivers in areas with ice and snow to use snow chains, after long traffic jams were reported near some ski resorts because of cars becoming stuck on the roads.

The police attribute the traffic jam caused on Christmas afternoon until 9.00 p.m. in Parnassos and specifically on the road from Livadi to Arachova to technical problems with electric vehicles.

A major traffic jam with a five-kilometer queue was created on Wednesday afternoon in Arachova due to a sudden blizzard that hit the area.

Just 170 kilometers from Athens, Parnassos is a majestic escape that can be reached in under two hours, making it the perfect destination for a day of adventure. With its towering peak, Liakoura, rising to 2,457 meters, Parnassos is Greece's eighth-highest mountain, offering a breathtaking blend of scenic trails and outdoor pursuits that will captivate nature enthusiasts.

Two old, Land Rover Defenders, though they stood out parked in Kefalari, were ready for rugged paths on Mount Parnassos.

More than 12,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the country by midday Thursday, according to the National Observatory of Athens' Zeus lightning detection network. Forecasts for bad weather with intense lightning activity had been made since the beginning of the week.

A prosecutor has filed charges against an unnamed individual over the killing and torture of an eight-year-old Husky named Oliver in the popular winter resort town of Arachova, central Greece, in November last year.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the head of the Athens prosecutor's office to investigate the case of a dog that appears to have been beaten to death with a metal rod in West Attica.

The case in Megara is the latest in a recent spate of particularly horrendous abuse cases against companion and working animals, a trend that has landed Greece on blacklists among European nations.