Members of a risk management committee will convene on Thursday to assess readiness and preparations ahead of a severe weather front expected generate heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and hail throughout the country until Friday.

The Ionian islands, the length of western Greece, the southern Peloponnese and central Macedonia in the north are expected to bear the brunt of the storm front on Thursday, followed by eastern Macedonia, Thrace and much of the Aegean islands on Friday. A notification via SMS was already issued on Wednesday evening to residents on the Ionian islands over the coming inclement weather.

The greater Athens-Piraeus agglomeration, where almost half the country’s population resides, is also expected to be affected.

Members of the committee, will operates under the climate crisis and civil protection ministry, are expected to examine the latest weather forecast on Thursday.

Although Greece is facing a water shortage problem or risk of water shortage in some regions, due to a myriad of reasons, including lower snowfall in the winter, lack of proper management of agriculture irrigation and leaky city lines, among others, too much precipitation over a short duration of time causes often causes flooding and crop destruction, as was the case with the storm “Daniel” in early September 2023.

The latter caused extensive and enduring flooding in the central Thessaly plain, Greece’s “breadbasket”.