Severe weather has left two dead, as torrential rain and gale-force winds swept across much of Greece, with the Athens metropolitan area at the epicenter of the storm.
A 56-year-old woman lost her life in Ano Glyfada after being swept away by floodwaters, while a 53-year-old Coast Guard officer died in the line of duty in Astros Kynouria after being struck by a massive wave. The extreme conditions have resulted in widespread flooding, transportation shutdowns, and hundreds of emergency calls to fire departments.
According to the Hellenic Police, shortly before 9:00 PM on Wednesday, a 56-year-old woman was walking on Kyrillou Methodiou Street in Ano Glyfada when she was caught in a powerful torrent. She became trapped under a vehicle and was recovered unconscious by first responders. She was transported to the hospital via ambulance, where she was pronounced dead.
In a tragic accident in Astros Kynouria, a 53-year-old Coast Guard officer serving at the local station lost his life while on duty. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the officer was on foot patrol at the harbor with the station commander. While assisting with the mooring of vessels, he was struck by a powerful wave leading to a fatal head injury. He was pulled from the water unconscious and taken to a local health center, where he was confirmed dead.
Severe weather brings record rainfall
Until Wednesday afternoon, intense rainfall hammered both central Athens and the broader Attica basin, causing significant disruptions on the road network.
“The rainfall levels we anticipated were confirmed—and then some,” stated meteorologist Dimitris Ziakopoulos. “We recorded up to 100 mm in Spetses, while in Megara and other parts of Attica, totals exceeded 140 mm.”
According to the National Observatory of Athens (Meteo.gr), extreme precipitation was recorded across Attica, the Eastern Peloponnese, and Evia. By 8:00 PM, Papagou recorded 146.4 mm (5.7 inches), Taktikoupoli Trizinia 130.4 mm (5.1 inches), and Vyronas 126.4 mm (almost 5 inches).
On Thursday, the storm’s vortex is expected to shift eastward. The Aegean islands are now under threat, with forecasts predicting “storm surges” and hurricane-force winds reaching 10 Beaufort. Authorities remain on high alert as the front moves across the archipelago.
Northern Greece is on red alert as snow and freezing temperatures grip the region
Snowfall and sub-zero temperatures have swept across Northern Greece, with Western Macedonia under red alert since Wednesday. Snow was reported in areas including Serres, Kilkis, Nevrokopi, Florina, Nikiforos (Drama), while sleet affected parts of Thessaloniki, Pella, Kilkis, Kavala, and Drama.
Early Thursday, temperatures dropped to -5°C (23°F) in Volakas, Nevrokopi and Paranesti, -4°C (25°F) in Vlasti, -3°C (37°F) in Pontokerasia (Kilkis) and -2°C (28°F) in Drama.
Police in Western Macedonia imposed temporary traffic bans on heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tons on several routes. Snow chains are also mandatory on multiple sections of the road network,while school schedules have been adjusted in some areas.
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