Crete’s storms ease but saturated ground keeps flood risk elevated, forecaster says
The severe weather that has battered Crete in recent days is gradually weakening, though scattered showers are expected to persist through Monday afternoon, mainly in the island’s northern and mountainous areas.
ERT meteorologist Olga Papavgouli said the phenomena have lost much of their intensity, but warned that the ground across Crete remains saturated, which increases the risk from any further rainfall.
Scattered showers until Monday
Rain is forecast to continue until Monday afternoon, with scattered showers expected from Chania to Lasithi. The rain and local storms persisting across Crete will mainly affect the north and mountainous parts of the island, without one specific area facing the greatest risk.
However, the intensity of the phenomena is not expected to compare with what Crete experienced over the previous days, when the island recorded 440mm of rain at Chania’s Xyloskalo during a two-day storm. As the hours pass, the rain is expected to weaken further.
The situation remains strained, Papavgouli said, since the ground has become saturated and is now struggling to absorb further quantities of water.
Winds weaken, temperatures rise
Strong northerly winds, which reached gale force in previous days, are also gradually subsiding. On Monday they are expected to be limited to up to 6 Beaufort.
At the same time, temperatures will rise, with highs reaching 25-27°C and locally up to 28°C in the west. Tuesday is expected to bring generally fair weather across the country, with no significant phenomena.
New weather change expected from midweek
A new change in the weather is expected from Thursday, with the latest forecast data pointing to strong rain and storms mainly in western Greece, the Ionian Sea and Epirus. According to the meteorologist, following a stretch that saw Crete placed under red alert over storm-driven flood risk, the new phenomena are not expected to match the intensity of what hit Crete, though caution will be needed in the areas at the center of the incoming system.
