Greece storm floods streets, topples trees and cuts power

A powerful storm swept across Greece on Friday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, intense lightning and hail. More than 100,000 lightning strikes were recorded, causing widespread flooding, road closures, fallen trees and damage to buildings. Emergency alerts were issued for regions including Athens, Fthiotida, Larisa, Magnesia, Evia and Halkidiki, and power outages affected tens of thousands of households.

The most severe impacts were reported in Fthiotida, where streets turned into rivers and a cooperative union building lost its metal roof, and in the coastal area of Psaroudia where a tornado‑like vortex was observed. Turkish authorities also faced flooding in Ankara, while monsoon rains continued to batter parts of South Asia, with India and Pakistan reporting inundated roads and displaced residents. Rescue services responded to dozens of emergency calls, focusing on tree removal, flood relief and restoring electricity.

Meteorological services warned that the unsettled weather could persist into early Saturday, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay alert to further hazards.