Greece’s 112 emergency alert system has been activated across the Region of Crete as a second wave of severe weather floods roads and sends a torrent bursting through the village of Zoniana for the second day running.

The Civil Protection authority said intense weather is expected on the island from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon. “Limit your travel to what is absolutely necessary. Follow the authorities’ instructions,” it said.

At 4.29pm on Friday, a separate 112 message warned residents of the Municipality of Mylopotamos, in the Rethymno regional unit, to limit their movements and follow the guidance of the authorities.

Zoniana hit again

Residents of Zoniana are facing a second consecutive day of flooding. The torrent running through the village overflowed again on Friday, sending large volumes of water through the settlement and into homes. Villagers described the scene as even worse than on Thursday, when streets turned into rivers of water, mud and debris that reached the yards of houses and, in some cases, poured inside, according to footage from the local news site Neakriti.

Mylopotamos Mayor Giorgos Klados told the local outlet Patris that the flooding was more intense than the day before. “The flood is under way, and with more intense characteristics than yesterday,” he said. “There are problems in many parts of the municipality, the rivers have overflowed and the situation is difficult. We are trying to help people and damaged homes with machinery.”

The storm has battered the mountainous Mylopotamos area since Wednesday evening. On Thursday, part of a bridge near Zoniana was swept away by the river, and a couple whose car fell into the riverbed were rescued and taken to hospital. An 80-year-old livestock farmer also died in Rethymno, and schools have been closed in Mylopotamos and several other parts of Crete.

Civil Protection officials have moved to have Mylopotamos declared in a state of emergency, while the Region of Crete’s civil protection mechanism is on Red Code alert until Sunday 4 October. Fire Service reinforcements have also been sent from Athens to Chania.

Greece Forecast

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) has issued an emergency bulletin forecasting heavy rain and thunderstorms in places across Crete from late Friday afternoon, mainly on Saturday, easing gradually from Saturday evening. The Dodecanese are expected to see similar conditions from midday Saturday until midday Sunday. Locally very stormy north-easterly winds of force eight to nine will blow across the Aegean until Saturday afternoon. The bulletin will be renewed in 12 hours.

Meteorologist Giorgos Tsatrafyllias, in a forecast for Proto Thema, said the weather will worsen again in the coming hours, with heavy rain and thunderstorms persisting at intervals until Sunday. The highest rainfall totals are expected in the north and north-west of Crete, where the risk of localised flooding remains high. Northerly gales could reach force 10 in the Aegean.

Elsewhere in Greece on Friday, increased cloud will bring local showers and isolated storms to eastern Central Greece, the Peloponnese, the Sporades, Evia, the Cyclades, the eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese. Temperatures will reach 24C to 25C in the west and north and 23C in Crete and the Dodecanese, falling to 10C to 11C overnight in the mountains, and lower in places. Winds in the Ionian Sea will reach force six.

Attica will be gloomy, with showers on and off through the day, temperatures between 13C and 22C and easterly gales of force eight. Thessaloniki will be sunny, with light winds in the Thermaic Gulf and a high of 25C.

On Saturday, the bad weather will persist in Crete, with rain in the east and south and continuing gales across the Aegean. Conditions will improve gradually on Sunday.

Ferries immobilised

Ferries will remain tied up at Piraeus until 8pm because of winds reaching force nine in places. The Hellenic Coast Guard will reassess the situation later in the afternoon to decide whether the evening sailings to Crete can go ahead. Services from Rafina and Lavrio are also suspended.

Passengers are advised to contact local port authorities and travel agencies before heading to the ports, to check for cancellations, delays or timetable changes.

Lasithi Plateau under water

Almost 3,000 tonnes of potatoes and vegetables have been destroyed on the Lasithi Plateau in eastern Crete. The farmland has turned into a vast lake and the harvest has been wiped out, leaving producers in despair. Lasithi Plateau Mayor Giorgos Athanasakis has urged residents to stay at home and to keep off the farmland.

Much of the plateau, mainly its northern side, remains without electricity, including the town hall, while crews from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) are working to repair the damage.

Large volumes of water are being managed in the area. A valve at the Aposelemis dam has been opened, and the Chavgas drainage channel is reported to be carrying around 700,000 cubic metres of water. Rainfall on the plateau has reached 250 millimetres, while Tzermiado, its main village, has recorded 1,280 millimetres so far in 2026.

The situation in Heraklion

Water supply problems are mounting in the Heraklion districts of Fortetsa and Agia Triada, with successive faults on pipes and boreholes and repeated power cuts.

Giorgos Vourexakis, president of the Municipal Water and Sewerage Company of Heraklion (DEYAH), told the Cretalive news site that the situation in Fortetsa has worsened significantly over the past week, with one fault following another. One of the most serious problems is damage to the main pipeline carrying water from Thrapsano. Only one of the three boreholes at Thrapsano is currently working, and power cuts have made matters worse. To boost supply to Fortetsa, DEYAH is trying to divert water from Vasilies.

“We have continuous faults and we are trying to deal with the problems that arise,” Vourexakis said.

In Agia Triada, a burst pipe has been found and DEYAH crews have begun repairs. Vourexakis said the area still had water, but at low pressure because of the fault.

Flooding has also hit the centre of Heraklion, where large pools of water gathered at the edge of the road at the entrance to Georgiadis Park. Photographs published by Cretalive show parked cars and motorbikes standing in water, with traffic and pedestrians struggling to get through. A resident who spoke to the outlet questioned whether the city’s storm drainage and flood protection measures are adequate.

The low-level river crossings on Lykeiou Street and in Katsampas are closed, as is the Drakouliaris bridge. Residents are urged to avoid these points and to take extra care while the storm continues. Roads in Agios Vlasis have also turned into torrents.

On the coast, the sea has swallowed half of the beach at Palaiokastro.