Heavy rainfall & high winds affecting several regions on Saturday

Heavy rainfall and storms are affecting Epirus and islands in the northern and eastern Aegean, with the onset of the adverse weather front 'Ciaran' over Greece from central Europe on Saturday.

This weather front started sweeping the country from the east to the west, causing several problems in many areas: falling trees cut road traffic on the island of Evia and also led to extensive power cuts, a national railway train was immobilized by a falling tree in-between Afidnes and Agios Stefanos in north Attica, while road traffic was closed and also power was cut at several mountainous villages in the Trikala regional unit. Falling rocks have also caused several problems in the mountainous villages of Konitsa, Tzoumerka and Pogoni in northern Greece.

Meanwhile, road traffic on the Patras-Athens motorway has been restricted at Eleonas in Egialia, in the direction to Athens, after falling rocks affected that segment, while the settlement of Valavaniotika in Egialia was evacuated on Saturday for precautionary reasons due to potential falling rocks.

With high, strong winds being the main phenomenon of this weather front, most ships at some of the country's ports are docked on the day, while the ports of Rafina and Lavrion have suspended all operations.

The biggest volume of rainwater fell in Epirus, reaching rainfall Category 4 - which is considered as a high alert level, while winds in the Aegean Sea have exceeded level 8 in the Beaufort scale on Saturday.