A sudden hailstorm in the middle of April surprised residents on Athens and the south-east suburbs early afternoon Monday. Within minutes, large quantities of hail covered the streets of the Greek capital with big, white, frozen balls.
The hail stroke with loud noise the center of the Greek capital as well as the suburbs of Ilioupoli, Palaio Faliro, Nea Smyrni, Pangrati and Agios Dimitrios.
Hail in Nea Smyrni
Motorists and pedestrians along major avenues in downtown Athens stunned about the intensity of the phenomenon.
Hail on Syggrou Avenue
Το 'στρωσε με χαλάζι στη Συγγρού. pic.twitter.com/UIpmvnuohi
— adespotoolikis (@Adespotoolikis) April 15, 2019
Prior to the hail storm the sky turned dark grey and the cracking loud noise of thunder presage the upcoming storm.
Rainwater passing through the roof of Athens Mall in Agios Dimitrios
Hail in Pangrati
The hail storm lasted about 15 minutes, then it was followed by strong rain.
In some suburbs like in Neos Kosmos streets turned into rivers
Hail in Panorama, Perama by Piraeus: “I’ve never seen so much hail,” wrote a Greek on social media.
Τόσο χαλάζι…δεν έχω ξαναδεί! pic.twitter.com/b5stty6x4E
— Λαχτάρα (@lahtara_em) April 15, 2019
Power outages occurred in several suburbs of East Athens and Piraeus like Korydallos, Peristeri, Petroupoli, Kamatero and in Nikaia, Keratsini, Renti.
Hail and thunderstorm did not strike only Athens but also other regions across the country.
Thodoris Kollydas, meteorologist at the Greek National Weather Service, posted on Twitter the areas hit by thunder- and hailstorms on Monday.
Μια πληρέστερη εικόνα από τα ραντάρ της#ΕΜΥ όπου φαίνονται οι περιοχές καταιγίδων με τοπικές χαλαζοπτωσεις pic.twitter.com/8vpbggmiCO
— KolydasΤ (@KolydasT) April 15, 2019
Strong thunderstorms are on the way to East Attica in the next two hours,” that is on Monday evening, Kollydas tweeted
Ισχυρές καταιγίδες κυρίως δυτική Αττική το επόμενο δίωρο. Το βράδυ βαθμιαία εξασθένηση. Βγαίνει έκτακτο από ΕΜΥ τώρα. Κοινοποιηστε pic.twitter.com/0Z3AaBuDtA
— KolydasΤ (@KolydasT) April 15, 2019
April weather will continue with rainfalls, thunder- and hailstorms also on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.
Of course, all Greeks do care right now is how the weather be over the Easter days, April 26-30. But it is too early for a reliable weather forecast.
