A strong wave of bad weather swept through several areas of Greece on Friday, bringing powerful storms, strong winds, intense rainfall, hail and an extraordinary number of lightning strikes.
Athens faced a sudden deterioration in weather conditions on Friday afternoon. The sky was covered by thick, dark clouds, and just before 7:00 PM (local time), torrential rain began, accompanied by strong winds and intense electrical activity.
Extreme phenomena have affected many areas of the country, where flooding on roads, damage to buildings, fallen trees, and traffic problems have been reported.
According to meteorological data, more than 100,000 lightning strikes have been recorded on land and at sea in recent hours, an unusual activity for this period.
Damage and problems in some regions
In Fthiotida, the storm caused significant damage. Strong winds toppled trees, while roads turned into rivers from heavy rains. In Makrakomi, the force of the wind tore off the metal roof of a building of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, throwing it about 100 meters away.
In Larisa and the surrounding area, the sky was darkened by heavy clouds, while lightning lit up the fields of Thessaly. Hail and crop damage were also reported in some areas.
Strong storms also hit Agrinio, Zakynthos, Volos, Trikala, Drama and Halkidiki. In the latter, residents were alarmed by the appearance of a tornado near the coastal area of Psaroudia.
A rare phenomenon was also recorded in the sea between Sithonia and Mount Athos, where a water current appeared connecting between the storm cloud and the sea surface.
Due to the risk of intense rainfall and storms, Greek authorities activated the 112 emergency system. Residents of some areas received notices to exercise caution when moving.
The warnings mainly affected Larissa, Fthiotida, central and northern Evia, Skyros, Magnesia and the Sporades.
Authorities urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during the peak of the phenomena and to be cautious of possible flooding and objects that could be toppled by the wind.
Bad weather continues in the coming hours
According to the National Meteorological Service of Greece, the unstable weather is expected to continue until the early hours of Saturday. The most at risk areas are the coastal parts of Magnesia, Evia, Sporades, Larisa, Halkidiki and some areas of Attica.
Meteorologists warn that the storms could be accompanied by strong winds, hail and local flash flooding.
Gradual improvement in the weather is expected to begin late Friday evening and throughout Saturday, while from Sunday Greece is expected to return to more typical summer conditions with rising temperatures.
