Rome sees first snowfall in years

ROME - Romans on Monday woke up to their first snow since 2012 as the Siberian wind named "Burian" swept the Italian capital.

The snow has brought Rome into a standstill, which forced the Civil Protection Agency to call in the army to clear the streets.

According to the Civil Protection Agency, most of the requests for aid are coming from the capital.

Air traffic over Rome has been affected, as airports operator Aeroporti di Roma warned on Twitter of expected delays at the city's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports.

Also on Twitter, Ferrovie di Stato public railways said "traffic is significantly slowed down on all the lines leading to Rome."

Some public facilities, including schools and parks have been shut down, while bus service has been reduced, according to the city's website.

While the snowfall in years are causing troubles in real life, it is bringing fun to netizens, who posted photos and videos of the city's snowclad views and snowball fights.