A powerful storm system named Byron swept across Greece on Thursday, unleashing severe flooding, landslides and infrastructure damage as heavy rain, thunderstorms and gale‑force winds hit much of the country.
The Peloponnese peninsula was among the hardest‑hit areas, with flooding in Laconia submerging homes and farmland and cutting off roads to Sparta, state broadcaster ERT reported. Authorities deployed heavy machinery to keep routes open, but continuous rainfall triggered landslides and raised fears of river overflows.
On Crete, intense rain caused road closures and damage in southern districts. In Heraklion, ground erosion collapsed part of a street, sending a vehicle into a construction pit. No injuries were reported, and shelters were opened for homeless residents.
The government convened an emergency meeting chaired by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis, warning of worsening conditions and urging residents to limit movement.
Meteorologists said the storm would intensify overnight, especially in Attica and central Greece. Winds of force 8‑9 on the Beaufort scale could generate storm surges along the Aegean coast, including the Dodecanese islands, where flooding has already been reported.