Heavy snow paralyses Greek capital, crews struggling to free stranded drivers

A blanket of heavy snow covered the Greek capital on Monday, from the Acropolis hill to the coast in the south, disrupting air traffic, bringing transport to a halt and leaving scores of drivers stranded overnight in a highway. Rescue crews struggled to free hundreds of drivers whose cars halted for hours on an Athens ring road as the storm, named Elpida, swept Greece and covered the city with a thick layer of snow. Heavy snowfall is rare in Athens but the city has now been hit by snowstorms for a second consecutive year. Greek carrier Aegean Airlines cancelled all but five flights on Monday and said it expected schedules to be disrupted on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. <br/>