A powerful weather system named Adel swept across much of Greece on Friday, bringing relentless rain, thunderstorms and frequent lightning to Athens from the early hours of the morning. Several streets in the capital flooded, creating hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians. Authorities urged residents to exercise caution and follow safety guidance as the storm intensified.
Meteorologists warned of a high risk of large hail, including across the wider Attica region. Friday’s rainfall was classified as a category 4 event, indicating “very significant” severity.
In northern Greece, strong storms were already hitting Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The system was expected to move later in the day into Halkidiki, Serres, Kilkis and Thessaloniki. Heavy rain was forecast to persist through the morning in the Ionian islands and parts of the Peloponnese, while the Eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese were expected to face the brunt of the storm from midday into the night.
Forecasters warned of a “double wave” of severe weather in Attica, with one round of storms overnight and a second after daybreak. Conditions in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace were also expected to deteriorate during the afternoon, with particular concern for the islands of Chios, Samos and Ikaria in the eastern Aegean. By late Friday night, the most intense weather was forecast to shift toward the Dodecanese, where the system was expected to remain strong until midday Saturday before gradually weakening.
Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection issued a “red code” alert – its highest level – for Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, the Northern Aegean and the Dodecanese. Additional regions, including the Ionian islands, Epirus, Western Greece, the Peloponnese and Central Macedonia, remained on heightened standby.
Emergency coordination centers stayed in close touch with local officials, while regional civil protection councils met to prepare for a swift response if conditions deteriorated.