Extreme weather in Greece

[Eva]

The weather in Greece has gone crazy the last 3 days and especially today.
This morning in Attica and the central Aegean the winds were up to 100 km/hr and waves reached 9 meters high. The fire department received over 700 emergency calls to pick up uprooted trees and other objects that were carried by the wind, in a single day.

Even in the heart of the center of Athens, completely surrounded by tall buildings, a tree fell and injured a passerby cyclist lightly.
In Kifissia alone, which is one of the richest and most protected suburbs of Athens 300 trees were uprooted!! The fire department picked some of them up and the rest went to those who were fast enough with their chainsaws. This year there will be even more people unable to afford petrol so stocking up on wood no matter where it comes from seemed as a good idea I suppose. There's of course a law that prevents us from lighting our fireplaces or stoves whenever we need to because we create "smog" but I bet this winter we'll adhere to it as much as we adhere to the nonsmoking law.

Well, Greece has had nasty winters before and wild winds but that was usually in the north and in the country. The wind hitting Athens so hard is something I've never seen before.

These pictures were taken in Athens
http://www.iefimerida.gr/news/133299/%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%B9-10-%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%86%CF%8C%CF%81-%CF%83%CF%86%CF%85%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%8D%CE%BD-%CF%84%CE%B7-%CF%87%CF%8E%CF%81%CE%B1-%CF%83%CE%BF%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AC-%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%B2%CE%BB%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BC%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF-%CE%B2%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%AC

The videos and pictures here are from the rest of Greece, mostly Peloponnese, Epeiros and Patra.
http://www.protothema.gr/greece/article/333127/anesuran-nekri-apo-tis-plimmures-sto-argos/

This is the only page I found in English which downplays the issue heavily. Adding the link anyway for reference
http://www.tovima.gr/en/article/?aid=544711

There is a lot of talk about the "greedy people" that put cement over springs and decimated forests to create more land for sale. Although that's definitely to be factored in I think it's strange that it all started quite abruptly the last few days and after the meteorite in Zakynthos.

 

[KJN]

Thanks for the details on the storm and the pictures. Hopefully there will be a respit in the weather so people can recover. Glad you were not (I presume) in harm's way. Let us know if the conditions again change for the worse. Your brief roomie!

 

[Eva]

Thanks for the details on the storm and the pictures. Hopefully there will be a respit in the weather so people can recover. Glad you were not (I presume) in harm's way. Let us know if the conditions again change for the worse. Your brief roomie!

Hi KJN
Indeed I wasn't in harm's way, coincidentally I didn't even get out of the house yesterday.
I don't have high hopes for the weather calming down, I think this will be a long, cold winter - which is not so bad if it becomes the last straw that makes greeks reclaim their rights in basic human living conditions ie. electricity, petrol, food, in effective, less reactive ways than they did until now.

 

[Aliana]

Thanks for the details on the storm and the pictures. Hopefully there will be a respit in the weather so people can recover. Glad you were not (I presume) in harm's way. Let us know if the conditions again change for the worse. Your brief roomie!

Hi KJN
Indeed I wasn't in harm's way, coincidentally I didn't even get out of the house yesterday.
I don't have high hopes for the weather calming down, I think this will be a long, cold winter - which is not so bad if it becomes the last straw that makes greeks reclaim their rights in basic human living conditions ie. electricity, petrol, food, in effective, less reactive ways than they did until now.

Thank you for sending the pictures - I had no idea how strange the weather was in Greece before you posted. I am so glad you are safe! And it does look like it's going to be a long winter - even in Texas the weather is much colder and coming much sooner than normal. I wonder if the continued unseasonal storms and strange weather phenomena will cause more people to start questioning things...guess that remains to be seen. It's difficult to see people scrambling to grab food and necessities b/c they are not prepared for even a small storm, and I cannot begin to imagine (well yes I can ) what it will be like when the SHTF. So many people are still dream-walking, and appear to be quite happy to stay that way.. :(

Take care of yourself and keep us posted!