Attica hit by thunderstorms and widespread power outages

On Friday, July 24, the Meteorological Service warned of heavy rain, strong winds, hail and lightning in western Attica, issuing an orange alert and placing the region under Red Code for civil protection. The storm was expected to last until late Saturday, affecting large parts of the country.

At the same time, the state utility DEDDIE scheduled electricity interruptions across numerous neighborhoods of the Athens metropolitan area for the morning of July 24, with additional planned cuts on July 23. Planned outages covered streets in Moschato, Piraeus, Kallithea, Halandri, Chalandri, Marousi and other districts, typically from 08:00 to 11:30 local time.

Unplanned faults also spread from the early afternoon, beginning around 15:20 in central Athens districts such as Kypseli, Exarcheia, Kolonaki and Gkyzi, later extending to Menidi, Metamorfosi, Loutsa, Pikermi, Spata and the port of Piraeus. The outages disrupted traffic signals, caused elevator entrapments and affected businesses. DEDDIE provided phased restoration estimates: Piraeus market and port by 20:00, Kokkinia, Korydallos and Nikaia by 20:30, Ilion and Peristeri by 21:00, and outlying zones such as Ambralos by 22:30.