Foreign Office issues Greece warning for Brits as severe flooding hits hotspots
The UK government has issued a travel warning for Brits heading to a Greece after furious heat and now severe storms.
The typically idyllic and sun-drenched island of Skiathos has been battered by severe rainstorms and widespread flooding, leading hundreds of homes to be deluged and at least one person to lose their life.
Rescuers are working full tilt to save people trapped in flooded houses after the storm turned roads into rivers and unleashed 7,000 lightning bolts over the island.
One man died after a wall collapsed and fell on him in the coastal city of Volos, the fire department said. Another man is reported missing after his car was dragged away by the floodwaters.
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Rescuers have been working flat out to make everyone as safe as possible (HATZIPOLITIS NICOLAOS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Greek police have ordered a traffic ban in Volos and the nearby mountain region of Pelion. While the worst of the weather has fallen on Skiathos, there are concerns other nearby areas could be hit hard as well. Authorities also warned residents in central Greece, as well as the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia near Athens, urging them to stay indoors.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated travel guidance to Brits looking to head out to the region. It now reads: "Adverse weather conditions, including floods, are affecting some regions. The situation can change quickly. Follow 112 Greece on Twitter for official updates."
The storm comes after months of very hot temperatures in Greece which baked the grounds dry and led to wildfires in Rhodes and in the area around Athens, with some burning for more than a fortnight and destroying vast tracts of forest and farmland. Twenty people have lost their lives so far in the fires.
The Foreign Office further warns: "Very high temperatures are affecting many areas of Greece. There are active wildfires across Greece, including in populated areas on the mainland and a number of islands. Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly."
UK-bound flights from Skiathos have been cancelled today as the region continues to be battered by severe rainstorms and widespread flooding. British tourists have taken to social media to ask for help having been left stranded on Skiathos, which is east of the Greek mainland.
Jet2 said all its flights due to depart the island on Tuesday and Wednesday - five in total - have been cancelled. The airline said it was monitoring the forecast and will confirm new departure times as soon as possible.
Jet2 has cancelled flights to the island today and yesterday (Bloomberg via Getty Images)Four flights scheduled from the UK to the Island today have also been cancelled. On Monday, a flight from London Stansted to Skiathos was diverted to the mainland city of Thessaloniki because of the weather, where customers were provided with hotel accommodation until they can be returned to the UK.
Holidaymaker Emma Taylor, who has been stranded by the weather, told MailOnline: "This is a serious storm. Flooding in our hotel corridors, ceilings, power cuts, and we're lucky as we're up high at the Skiathos Palace, Koukounaries. Some guests have been asked to check out of their rooms."
In a statement to affected customers posted on its website, Jet2 said: "We are sorry to inform you that due to the current and forecasted weather affecting the Island of Skiathos, we have delayed your flight.
"The heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are continuing to effect Skiathos, this is part of an adverse weather phenomenon named Storm Daniel. We are monitoring the forecast and will confirm your new departure time as soon as the forecast allows.
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"We understand how frustrating this situation is, but please be assured that our dedicated UK-based Operations Team are working tirelessly to ensure we get you back to the UK, when it is safe to do so.
"We know that this is not the news you would like to hear, however, the safety and well-being of all our customers and crew is paramount. Whilst in destination, please continue to follow the advice of the Local Authority."
Authorities sent mobile phone alerts in several other areas of central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning people to limit their movements outdoors. Streams overflowed their banks and swept cars into the sea in the Pilion area, while rockfalls blocked roads, a small bridge was carried away and many areas suffered power cuts.
Greece's minister for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the storms were forecast to ease after noon on Wednesday and urged people in afflicted areas to stay indoors. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change, while conceding that his centre-right government "clearly didn't manage things as well as we would have liked" on the wildfire front.
"I am afraid that the careless summers, as we knew them ... will cease to exist and from now on the coming summers are likely to be ever more difficult," he said on Tuesday.
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