Dangerous weather conditions expected in Greece on Thursday, Kikilias says

Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias on Wednesday said that people should prepare for dangerous weather conditions in Greece on Thursday, with severe rains and thunderstorms, in a statement after an emergency meeting of the Greek Risk Assessment Committee, which is to be followed by a meeting of the civil protection coordinating committee.
"The Risk Assessment Committee, in an emergency meeting this morning, informed us of dangerous weather phenomena with severe storms and intense electrical activity tomorrow in many areas of the country," the minister said.
The forecasts predict that the greatest problems will be observed in Halkidiki and its neighbouring areas, such as Serres, Kavala and the Sporades islands, early on Thursday, while the phenomena will later spread to reach Fthiotida, Fokida, Viotia, Attica, Corinth and Argolida between the afternoon and late into the night.
"Especially for this bad weather system, people should be on the lookout for lightning strikes on land and at sea," he said.
Kikilias urged the public to visit the Civil Protection service's site for advice on protection against lightning, while noting that both residents and visitors must be especially careful of squalls at sea, and in areas of heavy rain. He also advised particular attention to ravines and water courses.
"The fact that until yesterday we faced major fires and tomorrow we will have to handle extreme rainfall reflects the extent of the climate crisis we are now experiencing in our country," Kikilias said.
According to an updated severe weather warning from the national meteorological service, unstable aerial masses coming to Greece from the northwest Balkans will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms, especially to central and northern parts of the country.
The bad weather, accompanied by great frequency of lightning and hailstorms, will first reach eastern Macedonia, Thrace and parts of central Macedonia on Wednesday afternoon, be especially severe in Halkidiki on Thursday morning and then spread to Thessaly, the Sporades islands, Central Greece and Evia on Thursday afternoon and evening.