Severe weather is in full heavy rain battered parts of Greece through the night, flooding roads and businesses, forcing school closures and prompting emergency alerts. Authorities warn that heavy storms and powerful winds will persist through the day.
Some of the most serious problems have been reported on the island of Skiathos, in Evia and across the wider Athens region of Attica. Two cars were swept away on Skiathos, while flooding, power outages and damage to homes and businesses were also reported on the island.
Greece’s National Meteorological Service has placed Evia under a red weather warning, with intense and prolonged rainfall expected until late Wednesday afternoon. Orange warnings are in effect for the other areas facing severe conditions.
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Winds in parts of the Aegean are forecast to reach 10 Beaufort, while eight regions have been placed on the country’s highest Civil Protection state of readiness because of the risk from flooding and powerful winds.
Athens region records heavy rainfall
The storm also caused widespread disruption across Attica, affecting central Athens, Piraeus, Perama, Megara and parts of western and eastern Attica.
Traffic police introduced diversions because of water accumulating on roads, including on Imerou Pefkou Street in Pikermi and on the old Athens-Corinth national highway near Megara, where vehicles were redirected into the opposite lane.
Problems were also reported in Piraeus, while flooded roads were recorded in Perama, Mandra and Salamina.
Perama received 85 millimeters of rain by Tuesday evening, while more than 60 millimeters were recorded in Palaiokoundoura in Mandra and on Salamina.
Elsewhere, rainfall exceeded 100 millimeters Tuesday at Simonopetra and the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, according to the National Observatory of Athens’ network of automatic weather stations.
River overflows in Evia
Conditions also remained difficult in northern Evia, where the Kireas River overflowed, forcing road closures.
Traffic was suspended on the road connecting Mantoudi and Prokopi at the Kanta location because of the overflowing river. A road in the Portara area was also closed for the same reason.
Authorities have warned motorists to avoid the affected locations and not to attempt to drive through flooded roads.
Evia faces some of the most serious conditions Wednesday, with EMY maintaining a red warning for the island and forecasting intense, prolonged rain and thunderstorms through late afternoon.
Emergency 112 alerts had already been sent Tuesday afternoon to people in Evia, Skyros and the Sporades, urging them to limit travel because of the forecast for severe and prolonged weather.
Flooding hits Skiathos
Skiathos has been among the areas hardest hit by the storm.
Heavy rainfall flooded the island’s main pedestrian street and surrounding roads, sending water into stores and damaging homes.
At 12:32 a.m. Wednesday, Greece’s Civil Protection service sent an emergency alert through the country’s 112 system, urging residents and visitors to restrict travel to essential journeys and follow authorities’ instructions.
The mayor plans to request that Skiathos be declared in a state of emergency because of the scale of the problems.
Local authorities have urged residents to remain off the roads until further notice and not to attempt to cross flooded streets, streams or torrents.
Red warning for Evia, storms across Greece
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast across large parts of Greece Wednesday, particularly in coastal and maritime areas, with localized hail also possible.
The highest rainfall totals are expected in Evia, the Sporades and potentially northern Attica.
Alongside the red warning for Evia, orange warnings cover eastern Central Greece and Attica, where severe conditions are expected through the morning; the Sporades and Magnesia, where storms will continue until the afternoon; and Halkidiki, where severe weather is forecast through the morning.
Strong storms are also forecast temporarily in the northeastern Peloponnese and the Cyclades early Wednesday. The Dodecanese is expected to see severe rain and thunderstorms until the afternoon, while conditions in Crete — particularly Chania and Rethymno — could remain intense until late at night.
Winds reach up to 10 Beaufort
Very strong winds are another major feature of Wednesday’s storm.
Northeasterly winds of 8 to 9 Beaufort, locally reaching 10 Beaufort, are forecast first in the northern Aegean before gradually spreading into the central Aegean. Gusts could reach 90 to 100 kilometers per hour and may exceed those speeds locally.
Across the rest of the Aegean and the eastern mainland, northerly winds are expected at 6 to 7 Beaufort and locally 8 Beaufort, easing from the afternoon.
In the Ionian Sea, north to northwesterly winds will reach 6 to 7 Beaufort before weakening after midday and shifting to easterly or northeasterly.
Ferries Docked amid Gale Force Winds
No vessels will depart from Piraeus until 3 p.m., according to the authorities, affecting morning sailings that had been scheduled to began at 6:30 a.m. The situation will be reassessed as weather conditions develop.
Port authorities remain in continuous contact with ship captains as conditions at sea remain difficult, with meteorologists warning that winds are expected to strengthen during the morning and through midday.
Services from Rafina have also been affected. The ferry to Marmari, on the island of Evia, is expected to operate normally.
Services toward the Cyclades, however, have been modified. Ferries will serve only Andros and will not continue to the islands of Tinos and Mykonos.
No departures are expected from the port of Lavrio, southeast of Athens, because of the severe weather conditions in the area.
In the Saronic Gulf, only some conventional passenger and vehicle ferries are operating, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard. Hydrofoil services have been suspended.
Some conventional ferries are expected to operate their scheduled routes at least until midday, after which authorities will provide a further update on whether services can continue.
While conditions remained manageable overnight, the severe weather has not subsided and authorities are continuously reassessing ferry operations based on the strength of the winds and the development of the storm.
Schools close across several regions
Schools will remain closed Wednesday in several of the areas affected by the storm because of the dangerous conditions and problems with student and staff transportation.
All schools in Evia’s Municipality of Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna will remain closed, with classes moving online. Similar measures apply across all education levels and daycare centers in the municipalities of Dirfys-Messapia and Kymi-Aliveri.
Primary and secondary schools and the municipal infant and daycare center will not operate on Skiathos. On neighboring Skopelos, all schools, the special education school and the municipal daycare center will also remain closed.
Across the Cyclades and Dodecanese, authorities have suspended in-person operations at all schools, daycare and preschool facilities and special education schools throughout the South Aegean region.
Remote classes will be held where possible. No blanket school closure has been announced for Attica, although local measures remain possible depending on how conditions develop.
Eight regions placed on Red Code alert
Greece’s General Secretariat for Civil Protection has placed eight areas under a Red Code state of mobilization because of the heightened risk of flooding and very strong winds.
The measure covers Evia, the Sporades, Attica, the South Aegean, Crete, Samos, Ikaria and the Peloponnese.
Red Code status triggers full operational mobilization of the country’s Civil Protection mechanism, including the personnel and resources needed to respond to emergencies. Municipalities and regional authorities have also been instructed to convene their coordinating bodies to assess preparedness and response measures.
The decision followed a meeting of the Risk Assessment Committee, while the National Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management has been in contact with local authorities and other agencies.
Temperatures fall as snow reaches mountain areas
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast across many parts of the country Wednesday, with the strongest and most prolonged conditions expected over the eastern mainland, Evia, the Sporades, the northern and eastern Aegean, the Dodecanese and Crete.
Localized hail is particularly possible in the Dodecanese and Crete, while temporary snowfall is forecast at the highest elevations of Central Greece, Thessaly and northern Greece.
Temperatures will fall further across most of the country, with the exception of northern Greece.
In Attica, rain and possible scattered thunderstorms are forecast, with temporarily severe conditions mainly in the north, where substantial rainfall totals are possible. Temperatures will range from 15 to 19 degrees Celsius, while northerly winds will reach 6 to 7 Beaufort and locally 8 Beaufort in eastern areas.
Thessaloniki is expected to see intermittent rain before conditions improve from midday. Temperatures in the city center will range from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius.