Overview
- A deep Mediterranean cyclone, known locally as Erminio, intensified Wednesday and Thursday with torrential rain, gusts near 120 km/h and waves topping six meters in the southern Aegean.
- Dense Saharan dust blanketed Crete and nearby islands, turning skies orange and pushing PM10 levels to around 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter, far above the EU daily limit of 50.
- Authorities sent stay‑home SMS alerts, closed many schools and halted numerous ferry routes, and emergency crews in greater Athens handled about 500 calls after floods near the city killed a man.
- Air travel saw cancellations and diversions, but flights to Rhodes and Crete were largely back to normal Thursday after visibility improved, with airports urging passengers to check schedules.
- The Greek outbreak is part of a wider Mediterranean system that also triggered top-tier warnings in Italy and Croatia, highlighting how late‑season cyclones can spread severe weather across borders.