Italian Army Clears Rome's Streets After Rare Snow In The Capital

Italy's civil protection agency has decided to send in the army to clear snow-clogged streets in Rome after an Arctic storm paralysed the capital.

RAI state radio also announced that the civil protection agency was rounding up its volunteer corps on Monday to help commuters stranded at railway stations.

Rome rarely sees snow, and when it does, public transport grinds to a near-halt.

The city's Mediterranean climate and proximity to the sea usually result in mild winters, such that restaurants often keep outdoor seating open even through the coldest months of the year.

As a result, the Monday morning snowfall, though not huge in quantity, brought excited young Romans out for a rare snowball fight or walk in the slush.

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi ordered public schools to be closed, and many private ones followed suit.

Parks which usually stay green throughout the winter were blanketed with snow, giving eager sledgers rare snow runs.

Even the Circo Massimo became a hotspot for snowball fights, while the Piazza Navona, with its famed Bernini fountains, turned into a snow-dusted winter wonderland.

Elsewhere in much of northern and central Italy, the storm also closed schools and disrupted transport.

Cover picture courtesy of Stephen Kay/Twitter.