Storms that killed two on the mainland head for the Aegean islands
Heavy rainstorms that struck most of Greece leaving two people dead and disrupting schools and transport were heading east Thursday towards the Aegean Sea islands, where gale-force winds are forecast.
The northern Aegean islands have been declared in a state of alert. Meteorologist Dimitris Ziakopoulos said the main problem Thursday will be strong winds in the Cyclades, eastern Crete, the Dodecanese and the eastern Aegean islands.
“We are expecting southeastern winds that will reach up to 10 on the [12-notch] Beaufort scale,” he said. “Such winds don’t just pose a threat to ships, or by knocking down trees on land, but will also create storm waves, in other words sweep seawater out onto land.”
Wednesday afternoon’s storms left two people dead on the mainland. In the eastern Peloponnese, a 53-year old coast guard officer suffered a fatal head injury in the harbor of Paralio Astros, after being knocked into the water while trying to secure boats against gale-force winds. And in the southern Athens suburb of Glyfada, a woman was swept away by racing floodwaters and drowned.
Authorities had to close off a section of the major Vouliagmenis Avenue in Glyfada after it flooded, while three houses built by a streambed in the nearby Aghios Dimitrios suburb were evacuated. The fire service received dozens of calls for assistance with flooding, mostly in southern and western Athens, while several trees were knocked down by the winds in the capital. Two stations on the electric railway line were closed due to flooding, and some parts of the city suffered power cuts.
Schools were closed as a precaution in the Greater Athens region and other parts of the country, while civil servants were advised to work from home. Most ferry services were suspended, while fallen trees disrupted train services in the northwestern Peloponnese.
Ziakopoulos, the meteorologist, said the storm had lived up to forecasters’ expectations.
“Up to 100 millimeters of rain were recorded on the island of Spetses, and in Megara and other parts of Attica the rainfall exceeded 140 millimeters,” he said. “It’s very important how much rain you get on an hourly basis, not just how much fell overall. In that sense, (the storms) were undoubtedly dangerous.”
The storms also saw abundant snowfall in many parts of northern and central Greece. More snow is expected on Thursday in mountainous areas. In most of the mainland the weather will overall improve, with scattered rainfall and temperatures of up to 15 degrees Celsius expected in Athens.
Kathimerini
