Weather hazards

From Tuesday evening heavy snow is expected in central and northern Germany. The southern parts of Germany can expect "heavy freezing rain".

A bone-chilling Arctic cold front is sweeping across the United States, bringing temperatures to an unprecedented minus 56 degrees Celsius in certain regions. Montana and the Dakotas are grappling with the most extreme conditions, resulting in reported casualties.

Only a small layer of artificial snow creates the necessary conditions for skiers in the Alps. Europe, including Greece, is gradually losing its snow due to climate change, with serious effects not only on the economy, since ski tourism is severely affected, but also on the environment.

The ski resort of Agriolefkes on Mount Pilio, central Greece, will open on Friday, following the recent snowfall, the operating company said on Thursday.

With a new cold wave coming from Iceland to hit the country, the Turkish State Meteorology Service warns of heavy precipitation and snowfall ahead as temperatures will further go down in the coming days.

Precipitation will continue in the west of the country on Jan. 8 and move toward the north from the western region to the Black Sea on Jan. 9, according to the bureau.

The weather will steadily deteriorate from late Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening, according to an emergency advisory issued by the National Meteorological Service (EMY).

Heavy showers and thunderstorms, as well as strong gusts, will be the primary elements of the weather shift.

Last year ushered in intense and devastating climate phenomena on all scales: global, regional (Europe-Mediterranean) and local (Greece).

A messy mix of snow and rain wreaked havoc in parts of the country, as roads were closed to traffic in the province in the eastern and southeastern Anatolian region due to heavy snowfall and blizzards causing low visibility.

Transportation was severely disrupted in the provinces of Tunceli, Hakkari, Kars and Sivas, with some vehicles stranded on the roads.

Following the El Nino phenomenon that caused sweltering heat and record high temperatures globally, climate scientist Levent Kurnaz has warned of an even hotter summer in 2024 as the sun is reaching the peak of its activity, known as "solar maximum."

About 14 percent of the country's land surface was covered in snow on Sunday, the National Observatory of Athens' Meteo weather service has reported.

Satellite data shows that that the area under snow during last week exceeds the average of the period from 2004 to 2022 and is the third most extensive since 2005 for the same timeframe.