Three people missing as cyclone brings flash floods in Greece

Three people were reported missing in Greece on Sunday after swirling winds and torrential rain brought flash floods in several parts of the country.

A rare type of tropical storm known as a Medicane began on Saturday and has so far mostly affected areas on the island of Evia, east of mainland Greece, and the southern Peloponnese peninsula.

State TV said that a young man and a middle-aged couple were missing in Evia. The civil protection service said that it had launched a search and rescue operation near the town of Mantoudi.

Ships were held at Greece's main ports and traffic was disrupted in many other areas across the country as roads flooded because of the heavy rain. Gale-force winds led to power cuts and falling trees across the country.

Firefighters have so far received more than 1,300 calls for assistance to help evacuate people trapped in cars and...