One man has died near Athens as Storm Erminio brings severe weather, floods and Saharan dust turning skies red across Greece with flights disrupted on Crete
A man has lost his life as ferocious gale-force winds and flooding from Storm Erminio battered Greece – while a Saharan dust storm transformed skies to a crimson hue.
The victim was discovered beneath a vehicle in the Nea Makri countryside near Athens this morning, fire services confirmed, after reportedly venturing outside his apartment and being swept away by the extreme conditions.
Storm Erminio has left streets submerged and forced the closure of several schools. Air travel has been disrupted on Crete following an African dust storm that filled the atmosphere, casting an eerie red-orange glow across the sky.
The national weather service EMY has issued a red alert and is predicting further “severe weather” today across most of Greece “with prolonged and intense rain and thunderstorms, and possibly localised hailstorms.”
Red alerts have been declared for eastern Peloponnese, Central Greece, Evia, Thessaly, the Sporades Islands, Attica, and the Dodecanese, reports the Mirror.
An orange warning has also been issued for the Cyclades and the eastern Aegean islands. Temperatures are set to plummet to 9C inland, 11C along coastal areas and 5C in the highest mountainous regions.
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A red warning remains in effect for Crete, particularly in western and southern areas, from midday until late Thursday evening. Three flights bound for Iraklio were forced to divert, state news agency ANA reported.
Aircraft were grounded at Heraklion’s principal airport in Crete on Wednesday, with at least two flights compelled to reroute after visibility plummeted to approximately 1,000 metres, a level deemed unsafe for landing. A British Airways flight from London was diverted to Corfu, while a SKY Express service from Brussels was redirected to Athens. The thick dust cloud lingering over Crete continues to disrupt air travel across the island.
On the ground, dramatic incidents were reported, including a powerful tornado flipping a lorry in the coastal region of Pachia Ammos as it was set to load agricultural exports.
In Ierapetra, enormous waves crashed into the first houses along the old town due to strong southerly winds creating hazardous coastal conditions. Officials anticipate the dust wave will start to dissipate later today.
The dusty conditions have been exacerbated by Storm Erminio, a potent weather system bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms and robust winds across Greece.
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