Greece is bracing for four days of severe weather centered on Crete and Evia, with meteorologist Nikoleta Ziakopoulou warning of heavy rainfall that could sharply raise the risk of flooding and landslides.
Mrs. Ziakopoulou, of state broadcaster ERT, said the pattern will hold steady for four days, driven primarily by powerful northerly winds.
Gusts across the Aegean are expected to reach 8 to locally 9 on the Beaufort scale, sweeping the sea from north to south and hitting Crete and Kythira particularly hard.
The strengthening winds will bring falling temperatures, with Attica struggling to reach 20 degrees Celsius as rain spreads from Magnesia southward, concentrated in areas exposed to the northerly flow.
Evia faces particular concern, with the ground already saturated from weekend rainfall ahead of the new system's arrival.
Crete is the primary focus of the forecast, with conditions expected to persist from Wednesday through Sunday.
Mrs. Ziakopoulou said that if current forecasts hold, the island could see roughly six months' worth of rainfall compressed into four days — potentially approaching the total volume Attica typically receives over an entire year.
The heaviest impact is expected across northern and western Crete, where rainfall is forecast to be persistent and, at times, locally intense.
Authorities have flagged elevated risk of flooding and landslides in the hardest-hit areas as the storm system moves through, with officials urging residents in vulnerable regions to remain alert as the extended weather event unfolds through the weekend.