A man has died in Athens as the erratic storm 'Erminio' lashed Greece with gale-force winds and massive waves, causing localised floods and severely disrupting transport across the country. The fire department reported that the victim, a man around 50 years old, was found trapped under a car in Nea Makri, a rural area northeast of the Greek capital.
Emergency Response and Warnings
The fire department added that it had received nearly 500 emergency calls in the greater Athens area, including more than 30 rescue requests. Authorities issued urgent warnings and shut down schools in areas east of Athens, the Dodecanese islands, the Cycladic islands, and Crete. On the island of Poros, flooding knocked down a bridge, highlighting the storm's destructive power.
Transport Chaos and Ferry Disruptions
Most of Greece's ferries, a key transport link for the country's many Mediterranean islands, were confined to port on Wednesday due to the dangerous conditions. The EMY state weather service forecast 'severe weather' for Thursday in most parts of the country, with prolonged and intense rain, thunderstorms, and possibly localised hailstorms.
Bad weather caused extensive damage on the holiday island of Rhodes, where violent winds blew at 70 miles per hour, while waves reached 15ft, forcing dozens of flights to be cancelled at Diagoras airport. On Wednesday, several Easter holiday flights to Crete had to be rerouted as a Saharan dust storm blanketed the island.
Saharan Dust Storm Adds to Travel Woes
Travel chaos unfolded as thick African dust smothered visibility, grounding aircraft and disrupting arrivals at Heraklion's main airport. At least two flights were forced to divert after visibility dropped to around 1,000 metres, a level considered unsafe for landing. A British Airways service from London was rerouted to Corfu, while a SKY Express flight from Brussels was sent to Athens.
Air travel across the island remains under pressure as the dense dust cloud continues to hang over Crete, causing delays and operational disruption. Dramatic scenes were also reported on the ground, where a powerful tornado flipped a truck in the coastal area of Pachia Ammos as it prepared to load agricultural exports.
Widespread Damage and Environmental Impact
The violent weather also uprooted trees, damaged greenhouses, and caused part of a wall at a ceramics factory to collapse. In Ierapetra, huge waves surged into the first houses along the old town, as strong southerly winds whipped up dangerous coastal conditions.
Across Heraklion, the landscape has been transformed into something resembling the Sahara, with a thick veil of dust almost completely obscuring the port. The air turned suffocating, with extremely high concentrations of dust particles making conditions hazardous, particularly for vulnerable residents.
In Chania, light rain has mixed with the dust to create a layer of mud coating homes, cars, and streets, as visibility dropped sharply across the city. Air quality readings plunged into the 'very poor' category, with particle pollution far exceeding safe limits, according to regional monitoring stations.
Meteorological Data and Regional Alerts
Meteorologists say dust levels have surged to more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre, an exceptionally high concentration, with conditions expected to ease slightly later in the day. In Spain, orange alerts were issued in Catalonia on Thursday, with strong winds expected to reach 50m/h, while waves could reach 13ft.
According to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), there are also yellow warnings in Valencia and in the Balearic Islands, indicating that the severe weather patterns are affecting a broader Mediterranean region.
