The extreme weather front “Genesis” had made landfall in the region of Attica shortly before one o’clock on Saturday afternoon. According to the latest forecast data of the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr, the local rains and thunderstorms that occur in the morning mainly in areas of Northern Greece, will gradually intensify and will affect the whole country.

The phenomena are expected to be stronger in the northern parts of mainland Greece, where there is a possibility of hail, while from noon in Pindos and in the Eastern Mainland.
The phenomena are forecast to wane from the evening hours of Saturday, but local rains and sporadic thunderstorms will continue to occur until the morning hours of Sunday, mainly in the islands of the North and East Aegean, the Sporades, the coastal areas of Thessaly and Evia.

Rains and thunderstorms are expected from noon in Attica as well. The effects until the afternoon will be strong in some regions. Rains and possibly sporadic thunderstorms are also expected in the prefecture of Thessaloniki.

Over 27,000 lightning strikes fell in less than 24 hours on Friday. Heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms confirmed the forecasts for strong and dangerous weather phenomena. Floods occurred in several parts of the country and the Fire service received over 226 calls to pump waters, remove fallen trees and other large objects swept by the strong winds and to transfer trapped people in safe places.

The map by meteo service of the NOA below shows the density of lightning, most of them fell in the western parts of Thrace, in Halkidiki, the Sporades, southeastern parts of Thessaly, northern Evia, western Sterea and Peloponnese and in the Ionian islands.

Many problems have been reported in several areas of eastern Macedonia and Xanthi by the bad weather that has been sweeping across the areas since noon on Friday, while the authorities in Serres are on standby for a possible shift of large quantities of water in the Strymon riverbed from neighboring Bulgaria.

In the city of Xanthi, the intense problems created in the neighbourhoods of the city but also in main roads with many cars being swept away by torrents and ending in open ditches and potholes forced the municipality to seek the assistance of the Prosecutor’s Office.