REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, ATHENS -- As Greece prepared to welcome the new year on Thursday, it was hit by the first major cold and snow spell of this winter, leading to emergency measures to provide relief to refugees, migrants and homeless people.

Temperatures across the country have dropped over the past two days, snowfall covers most mountainous regions, and snowflakes fall in the Greek capital and other cities, even in the southernmost parts of the country.

In some parts of Northern Greece, the thermometer plunged to -10 degrees Celcius, according to the Greek National Meteorological Service, while winds across the Aegean Sea reached eight on the Beaufort scale.

The cold front will start receding from Saturday, according to the weather service.

Meanwhile, the adverse weather conditions have hampered traffic in some parts of Greece and cars need snow chains throughout much of the regional road network. Ferry services have also been disrupted.

Braving the bad weather, Athens and other municipalities have stepped up efforts to provide more support to refugees, migrants, and others in need.

Across the Greek capital, several heated community centers and municipal stadiums opened to offer shelter, food, clothing and medical care, the City of Athens announced.

The ministry of migration policy, in coordination with municipalities and humanitarian organizations, provided 200 vouchers to the most vulnerable among the refugees to stay in hotels for a couple of days.

However, with more than 20,000 homeless people in Athens, and around 3,000 refugees and migrants reaching Piraeus port from the islands every day, the aid seems inadequate to cover all needs.

Refugee reception centers in Athens can house only a few hundred people. As a result, several refugees and migrants will spend the new year camped outdoors in Victoria Square, a central Athens square that has become a key stopover in the journey towards a better future for most of the 800,000 people who have landed on Greek shores since the start of 2015.

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