Storms cause flooding in Greece by Sarah Wilmshurst
Serious flooding has hit many parts of Greece over the weekend after hours of heavy rain. Authorities have declared a state of emergency across parts of northeast Greece.
One of the worst hit areas was the region of Rhodope in the northeast of the country. In Komotini, dozens of residents were forced to abandon their homes as flood waters turned roads into rivers, inundating houses and agricultural land. In places the floodwaters were so deep that cars became submerged in two metres of water.
The region of Evros in the far northeast was also badly affected after the Ardas River burst its banks swamping roads and washing away crops.
Further south, near Athens, a man drowned in sudden floodwaters, while in Viotia in central Greece, a severe thunderstorm spawned a small tornado that uprooted trees and tore roofs off houses.
The Peloponnese region, which was ravaged by the destructive wildfires in August, was also hit by flooding. The Alfeios River burst its banks causing mudslides and a bridge to collapse in the town of Arcadia.
The fire service was stretched to the limit, receiving hundreds of calls from residents trapped in cars, businesses and homes at the weekend. The army sent military trucks to evacuate the public.
The intense area of low pressure which brought the torrential rain and storms has moved away eastwards. Dry and settled weather is expected to make a return with an increasing amount of sunshine for the rest of the week.
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