The impact of Storm “Bettina”, which descended on Greece on Saturday, continued to be felt, as it battered large areas of the country, with stormy winds, thunderstorms, and snowfall, accompanied by bitter cold temperatures.
Authorities have instructed citizens to be vigilant and avoid unnecessary movements.
The extreme weather conditions are forecast to continue today, Sunday (26/11). According to the latest updated special bulletin by the Greek Meteorological Service, the ongoing storm will persist, featuring extremely strong winds across almost the entire country and locally intense rains and thunderstorms in the northern and eastern/southern island regions.
Intense snowfall has affected Western Macedonia since Saturday afternoon, not only in the mountainous areas but also within the cities of Kozani, Florina, Grevena, and Ptolemaida in northern Greece.
Temperature will drop notably, decreasing by 8 to 10 degrees Celsius in the Ionian and mainland regions and by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius in the remaining areas.
Numerous ferry routes have been disrupted due to strong winds. A departure ban is in effect from the port of Piraeus, and routes to the Argosaronic Gulf are not operational. However, ferry services from the port of Rafina in the east of Attica are unaffected. Additionally, there is a prohibition on departures from the port of Lavrio in southeastern Attica.
Unavailable Ferry Routes: The ferry routes not in operation include those connecting Agia Marina to Nea Styra, Kavala to Prinos, Keramoti to Thassos, Igoumenitsa to Corfu, Rio to Antirrio, Kyllini to Zakynthos, and Kyllini to Kefalonia.
Passengers planning to travel today or tomorrow are advised to contact local port authorities and tourist agencies beforehand to inquire about any changes to routes.
For today the forecast includes stormy winds in the west-northwest at 8 to 9, possibly locally in the Ionian with gusts up to 10 Beaufort, as well as in the east-northwest at 8, locally reaching 9 Beaufort. The winds are expected to wane from the afternoon.
Intense rain and thunderstorms are predicted in the islands of the eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese, temporarily in the morning in eastern Macedonia, Thrace, and mainly in the southern parts of Crete. The intense phenomena will gradually weaken from midday.
