Greece’s National Meteorological Service issued an updated Red Alert Warning on Saturday afternoon. The warning refers to the extreme weather phenomena that strike the country in the form of Mediterranean Cyclone Zorbas. The word ‘Medicane” deprives from “Mediterranean” and “hurricane”, a phenomenon that is rare in the Mediterranean basin.
In contrast to previous forecasts, the effects of the cyclone are not to have moved away from Greece and into turkey on Sunday afternoon (Sept 30 2018) but on Monday, October 1.
The storm broke out over South-West Peloponnese around 10 a.m. on Saturday with rough sea, high waves, rainfalls and locally torrential rains as well as thunderstorms.
Forecast analytically and Regions affected Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2018
Saturday, Sept 29
Rainfalls and thunderstorms locally ‘very strong’ in South Ionian Sea, Peloponnese, Sterea, Attica, Evia, Cyclades – mainly the West -, and as of afternoon Thessaly and the Sporades islands.
The weather phenomena are expected to be particularly extreme in East Peloponnese, East Sterea and possibly in Attica.
by the evening the phenomena will gradually extend to the islands of the North and East Aegean Sea, possible affect Dodecanese.
Towards the night to Sunday, also Halkidiki peninsula in Northern Greece.
Wind intensity 8-9 Beaufort and locally in the open seas 10 B. Gradual weakening in the West as of later afternoon.
Sunday, Sept 30
The extreme weather phenomena will affect East and South Peloponnese in the morning hours and then will stop.
Rainfalls and thunderstorms, locally very strong, in East Sterea, Evia, Thessaly, islands of the North and the East Aegean Sea, Central and East Macedonia – mainly Halkidiki.
Gradually the phenomena will weaken in East Sterea and Evia.
Wind intensity: 8-9 Beuafort in the Aegean, locally in Central and North Aegean 10 Beaufort. Slight weakening as late in the evening.
Monday, Oct 1
the extreme weather phenomena will be limited to Central Macedonia – mainly Halkidiki -, East Macedonia and Thrace, where they will affect mainly the coastal regions.
The gale force winds will gradually weaken.
According to Greek meteorologists, medicane Zorbas has lost some of its initially forecast intensity. However, wind speed is more than 90 km/h.
Live – Medicane ZORBAS
Greece’ Civil Protection and other authorities are on high alert.
More on Medicane Zorbas as it strikes Greece here.