Worsening weather today Friday and tomorrow Saturday with heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, high frequency of lightning & strong winds

Thursday, November 09, 2023

In accordance with Emergency Deterioration of Weather Bulletin (EDEK) which was issued today Thursday 09 November 2023 from National Meteorological Service (EMY), the weather will deteriorate from noon on Friday (10-11-23) until late Saturday night (11-11-23) with heavy rains and stormswhich will be accompanied by hailstorms and high frequency of lightning, initially in the Ionian Islands and the western Peloponnese and gradually in the rest of the west. The phenomena will gradually expand towards the central and northern continental as well as in eastern Aegean. The winds on the seas will be strong.

More detail:

A. Heavy rains and storms provided for:

On Friday (10-11-23)

a. From noon to Ionianthe Continentthe Western Continent and the Western Peloponnese.

b. From the afternoon hours it will be affected rest of Solid and Peloponnesethe islands of the Eastern Aegean and possibly the southern parts of Thessaly.

On Saturday (11-11-23)

a. From the morning hours on northern Ionianthe Continentthe West Macedoniathe western Continentthe southern parts of Eastern Peloponnese and Kythera.

b. From noon on Central Macedoniathe East Macedonia and possibly her Thrace.

c. Towards the evening the phenomena will weaken in most areas and will be limited to islands of the eastern Aegean and Dodecanese.

B. Winds from the south direction intensity 7 to 8 Beaufort they will blow on Aegean from the Saturday morning hours (11-11-23) until late afternoon.

Citizens can be updated daily on the development of extraordinary weather phenomena in the regular weather bulletins of the EMY and on the website of the EMY at the electronic address www.emy.Gr.

THE General Secretariat of Civil Protection (civilprotection.gov.gr) of the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, has informed the competent government agencies involved in the service, as well as the regions and municipalities of the country, so that they are in increased civil protection preparednessin order to immediately deal with the effects of the occurrence of severe weather phenomena.

At the same time, the General Secretariat of Civil Protection recommends to citizens to be especially careful, taking care of the taking self-protection measures from risks arising from the occurrence of severe weather phenomena.

In particular, in areas where heavy rainfall, thunderstorms or gale force winds are expected:

• To secure objects which, if carried away by severe weather conditions, may cause damage or injury.
• Make sure that the gutters and downspouts of the houses are not blocked and are working properly.
• Avoid crossing torrents and streams, on foot or by vehicle, during storms and rainfall, but also for several hours after the end of their event
• Avoid outdoor work and activities in marine and coastal areas during severe weather events (risk of lightning strikes).
• Take shelter immediately during a hailstorm. Take shelter in a building or car and do not leave the safe area until they are sure the storm has passed. Hail can be very dangerous for animals too.
• Avoid passing under large trees, under posted signs and in general areas where light objects (e.g. pots, broken glass, etc.) can become detached and fall to the ground (e.g. under balconies) .
• To faithfully follow the instructions of the local authorities, such as Traffic, etc.

In areas with intense lightning activity:

If you are at home

• Do not hold electrical appliances or the telephone as lightning can pass through the wires. Disconnect the TV sets from the antenna and the power supply.
• Avoid touching plumbing pipes (kitchen, bathroom) as they are good conductors of electricity.

If you are in the car

• Park it on the side of the road and away from trees that might fall on it.
• Stay inside and turn on your stop warning lights (emergency lights) until the storm clears.
• Close windows and do not touch metal objects.
• Avoid flooded roads.

If you are outdoors

• Take refuge in a building or car or sit on the ground immediately without lying down.
• Take cover under solid branches of low trees if you are in the woods.
• Never take shelter under a tall tree in an open area.
• Avoid low-lying lands for the risk of flooding.
• Do not stand next to utility poles, power lines, telephone lines and fences.
• Do not approach metal objects (eg cars, bicycles, camping equipment, etc.).
• Stay away from rivers, lakes or other bodies of water.
• If you are in the sea, get out immediately.
• If you’re isolated on a flat surface and feel your hair stand on end (signaling that lightning is about to strike), sit deep with your head between your legs (to minimize your body surface area and contact with the ground ) by throwing the metal objects you have on you.

For information and announcements regarding the prevailing condition and passability of the road network due to inflow of flood waters in it, citizens can visit the EL.AS website. www.astynomia.Gr.

for more self-protection information and instructions from severe weather, citizens can visit the web page of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection at the email address civilprotection.gov.gr