Greece’s weather service (EMY) issued an urgent bulletin on Saturday warning of thunderstorms – with torrential rainfall in some instances – and snowfall in the highlands of western, central and northern mainland of the country on Sunday.
Snow in lower altitudes was forecast for northern Greece as well.
The low front was expected to also significantly decrease temperatures around the country, which over the past week were unseasonably high.
Northeasterly winds in the central and northern Aegean were also expected to reach 9 on the Beaufort scale, thereby possibly affecting coastal shipping.
Rainfall was expected in much of the rest of the mainland, including the greater Athens-Piraeus region.
Although precipitation, and especially long-lasting snow coverage on mountain ranges, is a welcome development after less than average rainfall over the past year or so, sudden and intense weather phenomena drastically affect the country in areas with subpar or deficient infrastructure.
A record-breaking storm front in early September 2023, for instance, caused massive and continued flooding in the central Thessaly province, Greece’s “break basket”.
