  Using the thermal quasiparticle random phase approximation, we study the
process of neutrino and antineutrino capture on hot nuclei in supernova
environments. For the sample nuclei $^{56}$Fe and $^{82}$Ge we perform a
detailed analysis of thermal effects on the strength distribution of allowed
Gamow-Teller transitions which dominate low-energy charged-current neutrino
reactions. The finite temperature cross sections are calculated taking into
account the contributions of both allowed and forbidden transitions. The
enhancement of the low-energy cross sections is explained by considering
thermal effects on the GT$_\pm$ strength. For $^{56}$Fe we compare the
calculated finite-temperature cross sections with those obtained from
large-scale shell-model calculations.
