Central Greece looks to be in for another heavy rainfall and flooding event

Areas in Central Greece recently flooded by Storm Daniel could experience another episode of heavy rainfall and flooding this week.

Central Greece is preparing for another possible major rainfall event, as a cut-off low shifts south into the Mediterranean, bringing substantial moisture to regions still recuperating from Storm Daniel.

Central Greece looks to be in for yet another potentially significant heavy rainfall event over the coming days as a cut-off low moves southwards into the Mediterranean Sea, rotating plenty of moisture through areas still recovering from deadly Storm Daniel. pic.twitter.com/zxsU1vbheM

— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 25, 2023

The latest ECMWF based Swiss 4×4 model run calls for up to 400 mm of rain in just a 24 hours period, starting at midnight tonight, across the mountainous terrain of Central Greece. This area was hard hit by flooding caused by Storm Daniel just a few weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/98mGfv2sJP

— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) September 26, 2023

Daniel impacted central Greece on September 4 and 5, 2023, causing massive widespread flooding and leaving 10 people dead.

The storm has not just taken a toll on human life but has extensively impacted Greece’s agricultural sector. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food has shared grim figures regarding the devastation to the Thessaly Plain’s crop and animal production. An estimated 73 000 ha (180 388 acres) across Thessaly were submerged, with a large portion cultivated with cotton. Apart from cotton, other crops like corn, tomatoes, almonds, apples, and more have been affected. Notably, out of the original 960 000 sheep and 370 000 goats in Thessaly, a third have been lost to the floods.

The future aftermath of this storm could lead to a significant geographical shift in the region as experts have begun to hint at the potential formation of permanent lakes in certain areas affected by the deluge.

According to some estimates, the erosion and silt left in fields suggest it could pass about 9 – 10 years before they can be fertile. Farmers in the region are giving up and there’s a huge internal migration taking place.

In the broader context, the wrath of the storm was not limited to Greece. Neighboring countries, Bulgaria and Turkey, also faced the storm’s effects, with the combined death toll across these nations reaching 22 since September 5.

Daniel then moved toward Libya, intensified into a medicine (named Marquesa), and made landfall near Benghazi on September 10. Extremely heavy rains that it dropped over the region resulted in the loss of at least 11 000 lives.

Featured image credit: Nahel Belgherze