Ski resort closed due to avalanche risk

Authorities in northern Greece have been forced to shut down the popular ski report of Falakro, north of Drama, due to concerns that heavy snowfall and high winds in the area may trigger avalanches.

“The situation is very tricky because of the huge quantities of snow on the mountainside,” Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Deputy Regional Governor Christos Georgitsopoulos told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency Monday, adding that 8-meter-high snowbanks have formed on some of the resort’s slopes.

In a related development, meanwhile, the National Meteorological Service Monday warned of heavy showers and storms in many parts of the country Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly in the south.

It also warned that the high levels of dust that swept in from North Africa Monday would also linger for the next couple of days.