Data show thousands of lightning strikes across Greece
Over 12,000 lightning strikes were recorded across Greece on Thursday, according to the National Observatory of Athens.
Since the beginning of the week, meteorologists have warned of intense lightning activity, with residents in northern Greece being sent a warning to that effect on Wednesday from the 112 emergency number.
On Thursday, the storm reached Attica, hitting the northeastern suburbs of Athens hardest, with residents also receiving 112 messages. Heavy rainfall was also recorded on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos and in Central Greece.
General Secretary for Civil Protection Vasilis Papageorgiou told Kathimerini that the 112 alert for Attica was essential due to the intense lightning activity in the area.
According to the Fire Service, several small blazes broke out as a result of lightning in the northern suburbs of Dionysos, Marathon and Halandri.
The spokesperson for the Fire Service, Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, said the rain did not manage to extinguish these blazes, which required the intervention of firefighters.
