Rare tornado hits Pyrgos, Greece
A rare tornado hit the city of Pyrgos in Western Greece shortly before dawn on Sunday, January 7, 2024.
A rare tornado hit the city of Pyrgos in Western Greece shortly before dawn on Sunday, January 7, 2024.
Hurricane-force winds reaching speeds of 144 km/h (90 mph) and a significant tidal surge caused by a powerful Mediterranean cyclone named Storm Bettina have devastated parts of the Crimean Peninsula, particularly impacting Sevastopol and surrounding districts on November 25 and 26, 2023. The storm has led to widespread power outages, affecting nearly 500 000 residents, and causing considerable flooding and property damage. Bettina’s center moved over land early November 27 and is heading northward.
On September 27, 2023, a powerful weather system named Storm Elias brought a second wave of severe flooding to central Greece, particularly affecting the city of Volos and the island of Evia. The storm came on the heels of the devastating Storm Daniel earlier this month.
Areas in Central Greece recently flooded by Storm Daniel could experience another episode of heavy rainfall and flooding.
Extreme rainfall from Storm Daniel led to catastrophic flooding in Central Greece earlier this month, described as a 1-in-200+ year event. The storm then moved on to cause massive flooding in Libya, resulting in over 11 000 fatalities.
On September 10, 2023, the European Sentinel-2 satellite captured high-quality images of massive flooding in central Greece after extremely heavy rains dropped by Storm Daniel over the past week.
A powerful storm dubbed Daniel dropped exceptionally high amounts of rain over parts of central Greece on September 4 and 5, 2023, resulting in widespread flooding, destruction, and the tragic loss of at least 10 lives. Experts label this as the country’s worst storm since records began in 1930. The worst affected was the Thessaly Region, particularly its Magnesia prefecture.
Weather models suggest Greece will continue to be impacted by a major rainfall event over the next two days, raising the threat of major flooding in parts of the country. At the same time, a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, known as a medicane, threatens to escalate flooding risks in Sicily, Malta, and Libya.
The wildfire crisis deepens in Greece with significant outbreaks across several regions including Alexandroupolis, Dadia, Rodopi Municipalities in East Macedonia, Parintha in the Attica Region, and Viotia in Central Greece.
Over the last 24 hours, 62 forest fires have erupted across Greece, resulting in further evacuations in several regions. The Greek Civil Protection has reported that the main fire outbreaks are located in West Attica, Laconia in the southern Peloponnese, and on the island of Rhodes.