European weather site warns of torrential rains

Severe Weather Europe (SWE), a meteorological website which focuses on Europe, warned on Tuesday of “major torrential rainfall” and “large amounts of Saharan dust” across many parts of the country through Wednesday and possibly Thursday.

The system is coming in from Italy and will move across to the eastern Peloponnese and then through the Aegean, before hitting Crete and Rhodes especially by Wednesday or Thursday, SWE said.

The bad weather will affect the capital, central Greece and northern parts, according to the Greek weather service.

SWE said that Greece should also brace for gale-force winds and possible tornadoes, as well as waterspouts that are expected to appear across the southern Aegean on the back of the storm.

Ferries were banned from sailing Aegean routes on Tuesday as winds reached speeds of 9 and 10 on the Beaufort scale in the morning, preventing safe passage.