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Shocking images come from Greece, hit by a major natural disaster. Many scared locals say they have never seen anything like it in their lives. Entire areas in western Greece, islands in the Ionian Sea generally packed with tourists, face flooding, power outages, roads impassable due to trees and poles fallen to the ground. The culprit is Cyclone Ianos, which struck with the force of an organ and is now moving slowly from the Ionian Sea over the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands.
There are also redirected flights, due to inadequate landing and take-off conditions. Schools have been closed, children will not return to school until Monday.
“The situation is unprecedented. I have been here for 37 years and this is the first time we have seen such a nightmare. I did not sleep at all, the situation is critical. The entire facade of my tavern was destroyed, the wind carried it away” a local tells us.
The images speak for themselves:
“Trees are falling everywhere,” Ionian Islands prefect Rodi Kratsa told state television. The disaster affected the islands of Corfu, Ithaca, Zakynthos, Lefkada and Cephalonia, among others, but so far no casualties have been reported.
In Ithaca and Zakynthos there were power outages and traffic on some roads was disrupted, while Corfu and Lefkada were less affected by the weather.
A Swiss pleasure boat anchored in Ithaca was washed away by the waves, but the ship’s two passengers made it to shore, according to the Greek news agency ANA. Another ship sank in the port of Zakynthos, but its Belgian passengers are safe and sound.
Cyclone Ianos was expected to hit the Peloponnese peninsula on Friday evening.
Climatologist: this type of phenomenon was not even mentioned in the 90s
This rare Mediterranean hurricane is also called “medicine” (a word that comes from Mediterranean and hurricane, which in English means “hurricane” – no). Greece was beaten by a “doctor” in 2018 and caused the death of two people on the island of Evia.
The cyclone that hits a large area of Greece will continue to produce maximum effects 36 hours, then it will change direction, climatologist Roxana Bojariu explained to Digi24. This type of weather phenomenon was not even mentioned in the 90s. But global warming seems to be increasingly changing the things we are used to.
“We are talking about a relatively rare phenomenon. It is a type of cyclone that has the characteristics of those of the tropics. We are talking about a cyclone that has a power much higher than the usual ones in the Mediterranean, it can reach the effects of the cyclone category of first degree on the Saphir scale, with wind speeds over 119 kilometers up to 153 km / h. In gusts it can exceed 160 km / h. It seems that another 30-36 hours will be felt in the area of Greece, but the trajectory the cyclone changes, it goes to southern areas ”, explained this Friday Roxana Bojariu, climatologist.
Boat with dozens of refugees in the middle of the hurricane
A ship with dozens of refugees set sail on Friday off the Peloponnese peninsula, in Greece, right in the area affected by the Mediterranean tropical cyclone Ianos, according to the EFE agency, absorbed by Agerpres.
There were at least 55 people on board, one of whom alerted the authorities through the only emergency number in the European Union, 112. In the region, the wind was blowing at speeds of between 65 and 85 kilometers per hour, which made the operation difficult. save. Several merchant ships sailing through the area have attempted to approach the ship, according to the Coast Guard.
Editor: Luana Pavaluca
