Latest news with #HellenicNationalMeteorologicalService
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Wildfire South of Athens Leaves at Least 1 Dead, Dozens Evacuated
Rana Atef For a second consecutive day, hundreds of firefighters are battling a major wildfire near Athens, Greece, which has claimed one life and raised fears of further spread due to powerful winds. According to Greek authorities, more than 260 firefighters, 80 fire engines, and 12 aircraft have been deployed to control the blaze in Keratea, around 43 km southeast of Athens. While the fire has partially subsided, several active hotspots remain. Dozens of residents and a care home for older people were evacuated as flames approached the coastal resort of Palaia Fokaia. Authorities confirmed the discovery of an older man's body in a hut near Keratea, as reported by French daily Le Figaro. In a separate incident, two Vietnamese tourists, aged 61 and 65, drowned off the island of Milos in the Aegean Sea after being swept away by strong currents. A port police official said the woman fell into the water, and the man appeared to have jumped in to rescue her. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service has forecast winds reaching up to 74 km/h today, Saturday, heightening the risk in wildfire-affected areas. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
Mint
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Heat Wave Scorching Italy and Greece Tests Grids, Sparks Alerts
(Bloomberg) -- Blistering heat is sweeping across southeast Europe this week, triggering weather alerts and stressing power grids. A high-pressure system is feeding in a stream of hot air from North Africa, where temperatures in Tunisia are forecast to reach 47C (117F) on Monday. Southern Italy faces high wildfire risks, while highs in Sicily are expected to hit 43C. The Italian island set Europe's current temperature record of 48.8C in 2021. This June was the warmest on record for Western Europe, with heat waves amplified by an unusually hot western Mediterranean Sea. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events on the world's fastest-warming continent. Greece is also straining under the heat. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service expects temperatures to reach up to 43°C on the mainland and authorities have placed Athens and the wider Attica region on high wildfire alert. There were about 70 wildfires recorded across the country over the weekend. Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou convened an emergency meeting Sunday with the country's power grid and distribution network operators to ensure electricity supply remains stable amid surging demand. To protect workers, Greece's labor ministry has mandated a nationwide halt to outdoor labor between noon and 5 p.m. Monday in multiple regions. Heat across the region is getting a boost from an extremely warm Mediterranean Ocean, where temperatures are 4C above normal, data from the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System show. Red heat alerts are also active in Serbia, which could see daytime highs near 39C, according to national forecaster RHMZ. More stories like this are available on
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Sun blotted out as sky above Greek islands turn orange after two earthquakes hit
A cloud of Saharan dust hung above the Greek island of Crete over the weekend, causing an eerie hue to fall over Heraklion and Chania. The weather event is called Calima Things have been feeling a little Biblical in Crete, where the skies have turned orange a week after a strong earthquake hit. A cloud of Saharan dust hung above the Greek island over the weekend, causing an eerie hue to fall over Heraklion and Chania. The stretched-out, dreary sunset feeling doused the island before a blanket of orange dust began to cover rooftops, cars and the heads of holidaymakers. Combined with heat and rainfall, the dust created a stifling atmosphere. The Civil Protection Authority of the Region of Crete urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. A particularly urgent plea to stay inside was issued to people with respiratory or heart conditions, as well as children and the elderly. Hellenic National Meteorological Service warned that there were: 'Approximately 21 kilograms of dust per acre were recorded in Heraklion in just one day." The worst of the weather event was over by Sunday evening, when the southeastern winds responsible for carrying the dust to Crete weakened. The meteorological phenomenon is a regular one and is known as Calima or Kalima. It takes place when fine sand and dust particles from the Sahara are lifted into the atmosphere and transported by prevailing winds. The Canary Islands are most frequently impacted by it. In 2002, the Santa Cruz International Airport in Tenerife had to be closed because visibility fell to less than 50 meters. Five years ago, 2,000 people were forced to evacuate Tenerife and Gran Canaria due to the terrible air quality. It was measured to be the worst air quality in the world that weekend, with about 40 times the particle density considered safe by the World Health Organization. As a result, 745 flights were canceled and 84 others diverted. Depending on the direction of the wind, the Saharan dust clouds can also reach mainland Europe and northeast to the Greek islands, such as Crete. A point of particular concern for those reliant on tourism on Crete and other holiday islands impacted by Calima is that it is likely to increase in regularity and intensity. 'We have seen such phenomena before, but the increasing intensity is deeply concerning," a local official in Crete told Agrophillia. Last year New Scientist reported: "Recently there has been an eightfold increase in these dust intrusions – even during colder months when they are unusual – and the spike in frequency and intensity has researchers concerned they are becoming more common." The culprit is, of course, climate change and rapidly rising global temperatures. The island has been metaphorically in the wars these past few weeks. Prior to the dust cloud, Crete was hit by two earthquakes. Last Thursday it was rocked by 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck just off the coast, with locals and tourists were urged to stay away from coastal areas. Aftershocks were ongoing for some hours amid fears that a tsunami could hit the islands. Thankfully, the offshore location of the epicentre meant the impact from the seas was limited. A week prior to that a similarly strong earthquake struck. Claire Gibson, 49, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, had been holidaying with her family at a plush resort in Crete when the second earthquake hit. The flooring and furniture retailer was staying at Hersonissos, and she described the terrifying moment the seismic waves hit the island. "My phone just woke me up. There was an earthquake notification. The alert went off, woke us up and the whole room was shaking. It was my first experience of an earthquake. The floor was shaking - it was an unsettling experience. The wardrobe doors were banging like mad and we could feel the whole building shake. Thankfully there was no damage. It was my first experience of an earthquake."
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Terrifying video shows passenger jet rocking from side to side before thudding into runway and another aborting landing during storm on Greek holiday island
Planes arriving on the Greek island of Rhodes struggled to touchdown over the weekend, as strong winds rocked aircrafts from side to side, while another jet was forced to abort its landing. Terrifying footage shared on social media platform TikTok shows the moment one plane thudded into the runway on Saturday at Rhodes International Airport after gales violently jolted the passenger jet. A separate video shows how a Lauda Air flight descending on the Greek holiday hotspot was forced to abort its landing after attempting to touchdown due to the extreme winds driven by a fierce storm. Widespread travel chaos hit Greece over the weekend as a result of the severe winds. Photos from inside Rhodes airport shared on social media showed dozens of exhausted passengers sitting on the floor as they faced flight cancellations. One flight from Brussels to Rhodes was diverted to Athens due to the dangerous weather conditions, news outlet Avaitation24 reported. Elsewhere in Crete, crosswinds forced mass delays at Heraklion Airport as pilots struggled to land safely. According to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Greece's national weather authority, a severe northeasterly weather front origination from the Tunisian coast moved into the eastern Mediterranean. It comes as Paris Orly Airport was plunged into chaos over the weekend after the breakdown of a control tower, forcing the cancellation of 130 flights. Thousands of passengers were left scrambling for alternative travel routes on Sunday after the airport suffered a 'failure in their air traffic control systems,' according to officials. A spokesman for Aeroports de Paris, which operates the French capital's second busiest airport, said about 40 percent of the day's departures and arrivals had been called off. Passengers hoping to travel to destinations including Spain, Italy, Austria and Germany were left stranded after experiencing flight cancellations, while others endured lengthy delays. France's DGAC civil aviation authority blamed the 'significant' reduction in flight numbers on 'a failure of the air traffic control systems' that had taken place at the Orly tower early yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, an aviation source revealed that the chaos at the travel hub had been caused by a radar breakdown. The airport spokesman said about half of the 130 cancelled flights were departures, while half had been incoming flights.
