Greece was hit by a devastating storm that claimed at least two lives. Strong winds of more than 100km/h and extreme rainfall, which reached a six-week average in the capital, paralyzed traffic and forced authorities to close schools.
At least two people died in Greece on Wednesday due to bad weather. A large part of the country was hit by strong winds, while heavy rain flooded roads and trapped ferries in ports. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- Two people died in Greece due to bad weather.
- Strong winds and rain flooded roads and ports.
- One victim is a member of the Coast Guard, the other a woman.
- Schools were closed in several areas due to the storm.
- Authorities warned residents not to leave their homes.
The victims are a member of the Coast Guard and one woman
Greece’s Minister of the Navy and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, said on Wednesday that one member of the coast guard had died “in the line of duty” in the coastal town of Astros in the eastern Peloponnese peninsula. According to available information, he was hit by a wave while urging local fishermen to leave the area.
A few hours later, state television ERT reported that a woman was killed in the Athens suburb of Glyfada after being hit by a car swept away by a stream of water after heavy rains.
A storm front moving eastward across Greece brought winds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour, prompting authorities in Athens as well as the west and south of the country to close schools.
According to the authorities, people should not go out unnecessarily
Meteorologists said the storm brought as much as six weeks’ worth of rainfall in some areas, including parts of the capital.
Authorities warned people not to go out unnecessarily. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also postponed a planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadly floods in Greece during heavy rains in recent years have forced authorities to improve flood control measures.
