Seven regions of Greece have been placed on code red alert as severe weather system Agneta brings heavy rain and thunderstorms, with a heightened risk of flooding, the Civil Protection Secretariat said on Monday.
The alert covers the Ionian Islands, Epirus, Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the North Aegean (from Chios sourthwards) and the Dodecanese.
The bad weather is expected to continue until Tuesday, mainly affecting western and northern Greece and the eastern Aegean islands. The National Meteorological Service has warned of locally heavy rain and storms, some accompanied by hail.
Authorities have called for emergency services to remain on full alert, particularly in areas at risk of flooding, and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during storms and follow official instructions.
Flooding and evacuations have already been reported on Rhodes and Samos, while the city of Volos has also experienced problems.
On Samos, firefighters were called to assist six high-school students, whose school bus had become trapped on a road due to landslides.
On Rhodes, firefighters rescued four people from a car that had become trapped in a torrent.
Earlier, the Labor and Social Security Ministry banned all outdoor work in storm-affected areas.
Schools on Rhodes will remain shut on Tuesday due to the bad weather.
