Severe weather

Severe weather affecting southern Greece on Thursday has caused flooding and significant damage in Crete, including the partial collapse of a bridge in the Rethymno region that left two people injured.
The two, a couple, were travelling by car across the bridge in Livadia, a mountain village about 40 kilometers southwest of Heraklion, when floodwaters damaged part of the structure, according to a local authority. Both were taken to hospital for treatment. Their condition was not immediately known.
The severe weather has also disrupted power supplies, with Zoniana, Livadia and Anogeia reportedly without electricity.
Heavy rainfall in the mountainous Mylopotamos area prompted authorities to keep all schools and nursery schools in the municipality closed on Thursday.
In Zoniana, torrents of water carried debris and stones into the village, while also sweeping away cars, according to reports. Similar conditions were reported in Livadia, while roads across parts of the municipality have sustained extensive damage.
Also, a traffic ban was imposed on the Lasithi Plateau, eastern Crete, since early Thursday due to the severe weather. Mayor Giorgos Athanasakis urged residents to remain at home and use the main road only when necessary, as heavy rainfall continued. He also said crops across the plateau had suffered significant damage.
An emergency 112 alert was issued early Thursday, advising residents to limit their movements and avoid the areas around Zoniana and Livadia, as well as Mylopotamos.
Ferry services to and from Athens’ ports of Rafina and Lavrio have been suspended until at least around midday, with port authorities expected to issue an update later Thursday on whether departures can resume from noon onwards.
EMY, the national meteorological service, has forecast continued unsettled weather in southern Greece, particularly Crete, through Sunday, with gale-force winds in the Aegean Sea.