A red weather warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms is in place across the Greek island of Crete, where severe storms have killed one person and flooded homes, roads and bridges.
Greece's national weather service issued the red warning for Crete, particularly in the regions of Chania and Rethymno. The hardest-hit areas so far include parts of northern and western Crete, with major flooding and damage reported in Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi.
Schools closed and fatal flooding
All schools in the Chania and Rethymno regions and other areas were shut on Thursday because of the severe weather. An 80-year-old shepherd from the Rethymno village of Karines was found dead after going missing on Wednesday evening, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT.
The man had reportedly failed to return home after going out to check on his flock. Police and firefighters launched a search and found his body in floodwater near his sheep pen on Thursday morning.
Rescues and bridge collapse
Elsewhere in the Rethymno region, a couple were injured after being swept away by raging water following the collapse of the Diskouriou bridge in Livadia, Greek media outlets reported. In nearby Zoniana, firefighters rescued a driver who became trapped inside a vehicle after a river burst its banks.
Emergency alerts have warned people to avoid travel in parts of Rethymno and Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos, and limit their movements in parts of Malades and Finikia.
Forecast and emergency response
Very strong to gale-force north-easterly winds of eight to nine on the Beaufort scale were forecast across the Aegean, including Crete, on Thursday, with strong winds expected to continue until Saturday afternoon. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue intermittently across the island until Sunday afternoon. The severe weather should temporarily ease by midday on Friday before worsening again from Friday afternoon, particularly on Saturday.
The Hellenic Fire Service has so far responded to 21 incidents across Crete, including 15 in Heraklion. Most involved pumping water from flooded properties and roads and moving people to safety.
