ATHENS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Central Greece faced severe weather conditions on Wednesday as it was struck by a storm known as "Elias," which has led to extensive flooding in parts of the region.
Some affected areas had already endured the consequences of the recent storm "Daniel" just three weeks ago, which resulted in 17 casualties and significant damage to infrastructure, residential areas, and agriculture.
Residents in the port city of Volos were requested to stay indoors on Wednesday afternoon due to floods from heavy rainfall, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
Meanwhile, residents of three villages near the cities of Larissa, Karditsa and Lamia were alerted by authorities to prepare for possible evacuations given rising river waters.
On the island of Evia, streets in three towns turned into raging torrents, with homes and businesses experiencing flooding, according to AMNA. The island's main road axis, which connects the south and the north, has been blocked by a landslide and many villages are facing power cuts and water supply problems.
From the start of the storm on Tuesday until Wednesday evening, the Fire Brigade received 10,495 calls for help in the Thessaly region, 125 on Evia Island, and 70 in the Attica region, which were related to evacuating people to safety, pumping out water and removing fallen trees, authorities said.
Meteorologists forecast that the adverse weather system will recede on Thursday. ■