Authorities in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, are struggling to repair the water and power grids following Thursday’sĀ hailstorm that endangered lives.
The municipality says the water and electricity supply will be intermittent on Friday. Many areas will be without water for several hours as crews work to repair the damage and test the water’s quality before supplies can be resumed.
According to the Athens Observatory Station, 72.4 millimeters of rain fell only in one hour, while the temperature dropped dramatically from 23 to 13 degrees Celsius.
Twenty-four students from the high school of Argalasti, Volos and 10 tourists from Britain were trapped in the landmark White Tower for four hours, due to flooding in the surrounding area. Eventually, they were removed with the help of firefighters.
Many ground-floor and basement shops and houses were flooded during the downpour, which turned roads into rivers.
Lightning falling on the cityās Macedonia International Airport caused the authorities to temporary stop the refuelling of planes as a safety precaution.
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