Residents of the picturesque island of Skiathos are being urged to restrict their movements following the devastation caused by storm Daniel. The heavy rain transformed roads into raging torrents, prompting police to implement a ban on vehicular traffic. A 112 emergency text alert was also distributed to all cellphones on the island.
The severity of the weather phenomena, including intense lightning and continuous rainfall since the early hours, led the island's mayor to request a declaration of a state of emergency. In response, traffic was banned in the central town of Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pilion until the storm abates.
Tragically, one man lost his life in Volos when a wall collapsed on top of him, while another individual is reported missing, suspected to have been swept away by floodwaters.
To ensure public safety, alerts were sent to cellphones in various other areas of central Greece and the island of Evia, advising people to limit their outdoor activities due to the ongoing storm.
Local media reported that the torrential rainfall caused rivers to overflow, submerging roads and dragging cars into the sea, particularly in the Pilion area.
According to the national weather service, the forecast for the Pilion region predicted a staggering 650 to 700 millimeters of rainfall over Tuesday and Wednesday, with approximately 550 to 600 millimeters expected in the central town of Karditsa. To put this into perspective, the average annual rainfall in the capital of the Athens region is typically around 400 millimeters.
The storm's impacts are anticipated to extend beyond Skiathos, with heavy rainfall, storms, hail, thunder, and strong winds affecting the Aegean region.
