Storms batter Greek tourist islands for second day, with Crete hardest hit
Greece continues to grapple with severe storms, with Crete bearing the brunt of the heavy rainfall on the second day on Tuesday.
The intense weather follows Monday's storms which caused significant disruption on the tourist islands of Paros and Mykonos, leaving authorities scrambling to clear debris and overturned vehicles in the aftermath of hailstorms and torrential downpours.
On Paros, the force of the storms swept cars out to sea and inundated homes and businesses with water and mud.
The extent of the damage has prompted local authorities to request emergency government assistance to repair roads and damaged infrastructure.
"Roads have been damaged and we need help with more machines so that we can clear the streets," Paros' mayor Costas Bizas told public broadcaster ERT.
"All this catastrophe happened in two hours."
Neighbouring Mykonos also faced the onslaught of hail and powerful winds.
The severe weather continued until the early hours of the morning, blanketing grasslands in Mykonos with white balls of ice and prompting civil protection authorities to order the closure of schools there and on other islands, including Syros, Symi, Kalymnos and Kos.
On Crete, rescue crews were deployed on Tuesday to assist seven people trapped in their vehicles by floodwaters.
Rockslides and road closures were reported across the island as the storm, having swept through the region overnight, moved southeast.
Data from the National Observatory of Athens revealed that the Cretan port of Chania experienced the highest rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday afternoon.
Rhodes faced gale-force winds that toppled trees and damaged vehicles.
Schools were closed across multiple islands, and the storms halted or disrupted ferry services.
The severe weather primarily impacted islands in the Cyclades chain in the central Aegean, a popular vacation destination known for its beaches and whitewashed houses.
Greece has been ravaged by floods frequently in recent years, with scientists attributing the extreme weather to warming waters amid rising global temperatures.
The storms struck just weeks after a rare earthquake swarm forced thousands to flee Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi.
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