Greece is facing a severe weather crisis as Storm Byron unleashes torrential rain and powerful winds, causing fatal flash flooding and turning urban streets into fast-flowing rivers. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service has issued red-level warnings for multiple regions, with the extreme conditions having already claimed two lives.
State of Emergency Declared on Islands
Authorities on the popular tourist islands of Rhodes and Lemnos declared a state of emergency this week after Storm Byron made landfall. The storm's impact has been devastating, with two men reported killed in a flooded village on Lemnos. Scores of residents have been evacuated from their homes, with many relocated to hotels in the island's main port for safety.
Emergency response teams, supported by the military and local officials, have been conducting rescues, particularly focusing on older residents trapped in inundated areas. The severe conditions have flipped vehicles, triggered widespread power cuts, and caused significant damage to road networks.
Widespread Red Alerts and Travel Chaos
The regions now under maximum red weather warning include Attica, Central Macedonia, Thessaly, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, the Ionian Islands, the North and South Aegean, and Crete. Specific areas of high concern include Santorini (Thira), Rhodes, and the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups.
The Municipality of Rhodes has announced that schools will remain closed on Friday, December 5th, due to the severe storms and dangerous conditions. Officials across affected zones are urging the public to avoid all non-essential travel, warning that rainfall may intensify in the coming hours. Pre-emptive school closures have also been enacted on several other islands, including Symi, Hydra, Kythira, and Kastellorizo.
Minister Issues Stern Warning to Public
Vassilis Kikilias, Greece's Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, has made a direct appeal to residents in the storm's path. He emphasised the critical importance of heeding evacuation orders, which are being disseminated via cellphone push alerts. "It is a thousand times better to comply with potentially excessive warnings than to face tragedy," Minister Kikilias stated in a television interview.
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service forecasts that the intense rainfall and storms will persist until the morning of Saturday, December 6th. Meteorologists warn that the downpours are not only intense but also of long duration, with some areas expected to see between 200 and 250 tonnes of water per hectare. This volume poses a severe risk of widespread devastation in both urban and rural settings.
The storm has now reached the capital, Athens, causing similar flooding devastation. The severe weather has also led to the closure of a section of the national highway between Sparta and Gytheio after falling rocks made the route impassable. Gusts in the southeastern Aegean are predicted to reach 8-9 on the Beaufort scale on Friday, compounding the dangers posed by the relentless rain.
