Severe weather battered parts of Greece in the early hours of Thursday, with storms centered on the region of Epirus in the northwest, prompting emergency alerts, travel disruptions and infrastructure damage, authorities said.
A warning message was issued via the country’s 112 emergency system to residents of the area as civil protection authorities placed all relevant services on high alert and urged residents to limit non-essential travel.
The storm caused extensive damage in the Tzoumerka area, where landslides, falling rocks and road network damage were reported. Serious disruptions were also recorded in water supply systems, particularly near the village of Katarraktis, which serves several nearby communities.
According to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, strong rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue in parts of western Greece, the Ionian islands, western and southern Peloponnese, as well as eastern Macedonia and Thrace through the morning hours, gradually weakening later in the day. Snowfall is forecast in the mountains and locally at lower elevations in northwestern mainland regions.
Winds are expected to reach up to 8 or 9 on the Beaufort scale in some areas, while temperatures will continue to drop nationwide, with frost expected overnight in northern mainland regions.