Cities in Greece Flood in Record-Breaking Winter Storm

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Severe weather across Greece has turned tragic, claiming two lives as record-breaking rainfall and gale-force winds batter the country. In the southern Athens suburb of Ano Glyfada, a 56-year-old woman was killed after being swept away by a powerful torrent; she was found trapped beneath a vehicle that had also been carried off by the floodwaters.

Simultaneously, in the eastern Peloponnese town of Astros Kynouria, a 53-year-old Coast Guard officer lost his life in the line of duty. Reports indicate he was struck by a massive wave and sustained fatal head injuries while attempting to secure vessels at the harbour. These fatalities occurred as the Attica region was placed under a "Red Code" state of emergency, with some areas receiving more than a month's worth of rain in just a few hours.

The storm, which meteorologists classified as a rare and high-risk event, caused widespread chaos throughout the capital, turning city streets into rushing rivers and prompting nearly 1,000 emergency calls for rescues and water pumping. While Athens faced inundation, northern Greece was gripped by a deep freeze, with heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures triggering "red alerts" in regions like Western Macedonia.

The severe conditions have forced the closure of schools, suspended ferry services, and even compelled Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to postpone his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos. As the storm system now shifts eastward toward the Aegean islands, authorities remain on high alert for storm surges and hurricane-force winds that continue to threaten the archipelago.