Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) issued a Red Alert warning of bad weather front “Ballos” with extreme weather phenomena, powerful rainfalls, thunderstorms locally accompanied by hail and temperature drop of up to 7 degrees Celsius.
An emergency teleconference meeting was held by the Civil Protection and 13 regional governors on Tuesday ahead of the severe weather system “Ballos” expected to arrive in Greece within the next few days. At the meeting it was stressed that all agencies involved must be in a state of readiness and high alert to immediately respond to possible problems that may arise.
Bad weather front Ballos is forecast to strike Greece from the West-South-West from Wednesday night, early morning Thursday, October 13-14, and affect the country until late Saturday, October 16, 2021.
Intense rainfalls are forecast on Tuesday evening, Oct 12 in the north-eastern Greece. See graph below.
There will be a temporary weather improvement during the day on Wed, Oct 13, until the new bad weather front will strike late in the evening.
According to EMY, main features of weather front Ballos are: Strong rainfalls and storms, locally accompanied by hail and temporarily by powerful wind gusts as well as sharp temperature drop.
Powerful rainfalls, storms
The intense weather phenomena will initially affect the Ionian Sea, western Epirus and Macedonia and from Thursday noon, Oct 14, gradually also the rest of the country.
The bad weather front will continue to strike the whole of Greece also on Friday, oct 15, the intense phenomena will weaken in North-West form the afternoon.
On Saturday, Oct 16, powerful rainfalls and storms will affect the East of the country, but the phenomena will gradually weaken.
Strong winds
Strong South winds of 7-8 Beaufort
North winds of the same intensity in northern Greece from Thursday evening.
South winds in the Aegean Sea are forecast to possibly reach locally 9 Beaufort on Friday.
Temperature Drop
Temperature is forecast to drop by 6-7 degrees Celsius in northern Greece.
Weather & Temperature Forecast Oct 13-16, 2021
PS And if you want to know what BALLOS means here is the explanation: The name originates in the Italian ballo via Latin “ballo which derives from the Greek verb “βαλλίζω” ballizo, “to dance, to jump.”
Ballos is actually is a Greek folk island dance with ancient elements and with a joyous and lyrical melody, typical of the music of the Aegean Islands. This couples’ dance incorporates all the elements of courtship: attraction, flirtation, display of masculine prowess and feminine virtue, pursuit, and rejection followed by eventual capture and surrender.
Apparently those who gave the name to the bad weather front think we’;; dance to the rain and storm, yet not so joyful…
The situation has been quite terrific. Due to heavy rainfall the road before the Faros bridge had been closed and the vehicles had an average speed of 10km/h..