in-cyprus 18 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar
A rare storm, known as a Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane), hit western Greece on Friday, flooding streets, uprooting trees and causing power cuts in the Ionian islands of Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca.
The fire brigade said it had received at least 60 calls for assistance, mainly to cut down trees and pump water out of homes and stores.
In Kefalonia, a boat sank.
Kefalonia’s Mayor Theofilos Michalatos said no one was hurt but homes, transport infrastructure and water facilities had been damaged.
The impact was similar in Zakynthos and Ithaca, where power cuts were also extensive.
The storm, named Ianos, which reached the western Peloponnese peninsula around midday, appeared milder than initially estimated, meteorologists said.
A Reuters witness said there was heavy rainfall in the area of Pyrgos in western Peloponnese, where the streets were empty, and strong winds.
A vessel in the gulf of Kyparissia sent a distress signal, the coastguard said.
“The cyclone will remain west, with the same intensity for 6-9 hours and then, weaker, will start moving to the south,” Deputy Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said.
The storm may also hit central Greece, where heavy rain was expected, Hardalias added, before reaching the wider Athens region on Saturday.
Authorities said the intensity and course of the cyclone could not be accurately predicted.
These cyclones first appeared in Greece in 1995 and have become more frequent in recent years.
A similar storm hit Greece in 2018 and in 2017 flash floods killed 25 people and left hundreds homeless.
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