Overview
- Storm Erminio, which intensified into Thursday, left a man in his 50s dead near Athens after floodwaters swept him under a car, according to the fire department.
- Crete was cloaked in Saharan dust on Wednesday, turning skies red and cutting visibility to about 1,000 metres, which led to diversions including a British Airways flight to Corfu and a SKY Express service to Athens.
- The Hellenic National Meteorological Service issued red warnings for violent thunderstorms and flooding, and port authorities restricted sailings with many ferries kept in port at Piraeus and Souda.
- Air quality on Crete reached exceptional levels above 1,000 micrograms of particles per cubic metre, and officials urged vulnerable people to stay indoors or use masks to limit breathing problems.
- A tornado in Pachia Ammos overturned a truck and damaged greenhouses, and officials said the dust could start to clear within a day although further severe weather remained possible.