Passengers aboard the “Nissos Rodos” ferry, which serves the Mytilene – Chios – Piraeus route, endured a rough evening on Monday due to the gale-force winds sweeping through the area and the severe weather system currently underway.

The ferry was unable to reach the port of Chios at its scheduled time, as the weather conditions – dominated by powerful winds – made the berthing maneuver extremely dangerous, according to politischios.

Waves and wind pushed the ship toward the side of the Port Authority building, and the situation worsened minutes later when the mooring lines on one side snapped and the large iron bollard on the other side broke off, alithia.gr reports.

Eventually, around 10:30 p.m., a second attempt was made to dock, which this time succeeded, allowing for the safe disembarkation and boarding of passengers, as well as the continuation of the journey toward Piraeus.

At 10:45 p.m., the 112 emergency alert system was activated for Chios residents, warning of severe weather conditions expected to last until the early hours of Tuesday, April 1st, in Chios, Samos, and Ikaria.

As shown in the photos from Forecast Weather, hail covered the ground in Komi, Chios.