Two Dead as Storm Bora Brings Extreme Weather to Greece
Storm Bora, with its extreme weather phenomena, has been battering Greece this weekend, claiming two lives on the island of Lemnos and triggering widespread flooding in many areas, including the island of Rhodes.
In the village of Kontias on the North Aegean island of Lemnos, a 57-year-old cattle farmer was swept away by rushing floodwaters on Saturday. The victim had attempted to free his car, which became trapped in mud near the overflowing Kontias Dam. Tragically, the man was found dead hours later by emergency services.
In a separate incident, a 70-year-old resident of Lemnos suffered a fatal head injury after falling on slippery stairs while cleaning his home during the severe weather. By the time the unfortunate man was transferred to the Myrina Hospital, he had already passed away.
Authorities in Greece have issued a multitude of emergency alerts using the 112 European emergency number.
One of them was directed to Kontias residents. The alert urged the residents of the village to evacuate to the town of Myrina due to the local dam’s overflow. According to officials on Lemnos, the island has suffered significant damages due to flash flooding.
Greece’s extreme weather brings floods to Rhodes
The storm’s impact extended beyond Lemnos, with the popular tourist island of Rhodes also experiencing significant disruptions.
The villages of Pastida, Kremasti, Ialyssos and Maritsa faced a devastating amount of rainfall for the area of more than 6.5 inches within a span of a few hours. The torrential rain left numerous vehicles stranded on flooded roads, with people being urged by authorities to postpone all travel until weather conditions had improved, possibly later in the day on Sunday.
Mainland Greece battered by strong winds, torrential rain and snow
Across mainland Greece, storm Bora brought heavy snowfall in northern regions with higher altitudes, particularly in the city of Florina. Used to wintery weather, Florina experienced heavy snowfall requiring winter tires for vehicle movement across its provincial and national roads.
Central Macedonia reported heavy rainfall, with roads covered in stones and mud, while strong winds in Greece’s second-largest city of Thessaloniki resulted in fallen trees, damaging shops and cars.
Thessaloniki celebrated the official inauguration of its state-of-the-art metro system on Saturday. However, the heavy rainfall led to minor disruptions, as rainwater managed to find its way into some of the new stations.
Greece’s National Meteorological Service projects the severe weather will continue in many parts of the country through Monday, December 2nd, particularly affecting Central and Northern Greece.
The eastern and southern regions, including the Cyclades, Crete, and the Dodecanese, will face more rain and strong winds prior to the improvement of conditions on Tuesday.
Temperatures vary significantly across the country, with the highest ranging from 42°F (6°C) in Western Macedonia to 66°F (19°C) on Crete.
PR Newswire
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