A number of flights to and from the Greek island of Skiathos have been cancelled leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded.
ADVERTISEMENTStorm Daniel has been battering western and central Greece since Monday, just days after a deadly wildfire that has burned for more than two weeks was brought under control in the north of the country.
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has blamed both the wildfires and storms on climate change.
“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.
Torrential downpours saw streets in Skiathos turn to rivers and cars washed away as local people and tourists were forced to remain inside.
On Tuesday, Police ordered vehicles off the streets of three Greek regions: Volos, the nearby mountain region of Pilion and the island of Skiathos until the storm subsides. On Wednesday authorities issued traffic warnings for the cities of Trikala and Kardista as the storm was not expected to weaken before Thursday.
Alerts were also sent to people’s mobile phones in central Greece, the Sporades island chain and the island of Evia warning them to limit their movements outdoors due to the weather.
Are flights to and from Greece cancelled because of the storm?
A notice on Skiathos airport website warns of variations in flight arrivals and departures due to “extraordinary weather phenomena”.
But tourist reports paint a more chaotic picture. “Horrendous scenes. We’re currently in the airport. Been locked in for over 12 hours and no flights out until Thursday,” writes one user on X, formerly known as Twitter.
British travel company Jet2 has cancelled all flights and holidays to the Greek island of Skiathos until next week, after being forced to divert a flight from London Stansted to Thessaloniki on Monday.
A statement from Jet2 says: “Due to these extraordinary circumstances, and with our customer’s best interests in mind, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights and holidays that are due to depart to Skiathos up to and including Tuesday 12th September."
The airline has made plans to rescue stranded tourists, flying a schedule of aircraft with no passengers on board to the Skiathos in order to bring people back to the UK.
ADVERTISEMENT"We will be contacting affected customers with regards to their refund and rebooking options," Jet2 added.
TUI also cancelled three flights on Tuesday and three on Wednesday, saying it is "closely monitoring" the weather conditions. The travel company says that customers due to travel on these flights will be able to amend their holidays for free, rebook or receive a full refund if they no longer wish to travel.
Skiathos Airport’s arrivals and departures board currently lists no cancellations from other airlines, including Ryanair and TUI Airways.
Is it safe to travel to Greece during the storm?
Updated travel advice for Greece from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) says: “Adverse weather conditions, including floods, are affecting some regions. The situation can change quickly.”
It advises travellers to follow 1112 Greece on Twitter for official updates.
ADVERTISEMENTThe floods come as high temperatures continue to affect many areas of Greece.
“There are active wildfires across Greece, including in populated areas on the mainland and a number of islands,” the FCDO pointed out. “Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable.”
The heavy rain and extreme weather are expected to ease up on Thursday 7 September.