Pindus

Municipal and regional repair crews were sent out in force at first light in Epirus, northwestern Greece, on Friday to clear rocks and other debris washed down onto many parts of the road network by strong downpours and powerful winds overnight.

Work to restore the 19th century single-arched stone bridge of Plaka that collapsed during the February 2015 floods in northwestern Greece is reportedly on course for completion by February 28. The bridge, on the border of the Arta and Ioannina regional units, spans the Arachthos River. It was built in 1866 and from 1881 to 1913 connected Greece to the Ottoman Empire.

The body of a British hiker who had been reported missing last Sunday was found late Wednesday in a gorge near Astraka peak in the Zagoria region of northwestern Greece.

Robert Fromer, 26, was reported missing by his father after not returning to his hotel in Konitsa. His car was found in the village Mikro Papigo on Monday evening.

An investigation is under way into his death.

The region of Epirus in northwestern Greece is setting the bar for the rest of the country in terms of waste management with the formal launch of a state-of-the-art unit through the collaboration of the private and state sectors.

Two men and a dog enjoy a day out in a snow-covered forest in the Pindos mountain range in northwestern Greece on Thursday, when a new cold front hit much of the country. Heavy snow fell across much of northern and central Greece, but also on the mountains around Athens. Motorists were advised to display caution and fit their cars with anti-skid chains on icy roads.

The arrival of a storm system dubbed Penelope has brought gusty winds, intense rainfall and flooding in several parts of Greece.

So far, the weather system has mainly affected central regions and the Peloponnese, with the biggest problems recorded at the mountainous region of Agrafa, in the regional unit of Evrytania.

The reconstruction of the main arch of the 19th-century Plaka Bridge in Tzoumerka, northwestern Greece, which collapsed in February 2015 due to flooding, will be delayed by one year. The Court of Audit did not approve the contractor assigned to the project and the file was returned to the competent ministry. Restoration work on the remaining parts of the bridge has been completed.

The Vovousa Mountain Festival celebrates nature conservation and sustainable development while focusing on film, photography, video art and music in the heart of the Pindus National Park, northwestern Greece, a region dominated by mountains and rivers.

Greek authorities say an avalanche has killed a snowboarder who was using a closed-off piste at a northern ski resort.

Police say the 32-year-old Greek man was snowboarding with a group of friends at the Vasilitsa ski resort, near the town of Grevena, when the avalanche struck Friday.

The other members of the group were safe.

Albania on Monday faced a fifth day of severe floods, which have forced 600 families from their homes and left more than 4,700 households suffering flood-related damaged.

No new deaths as a result of floods have been reported since an electrician from Albania's state-owned energy company, OSHEE, lost his life while trying to restore power connections.