Storms and gales on the way, weather service warns

Powerful storms and gales will hit many parts of the country starting on Thursday afternoon and lasting through Saturday, Greece's national weather service (EMY) has warned.

In an emergency bulletin issued on Wednesday, EMY said that the islands of the southern Ionian Sea and the western Peloponnese would be the first to feel the new weather front on Thursday afternoon as it sweeps in from the west, bringing downpours and very strong winds.

The autumnal weather will spread east through Friday to cover the mainland - including the Greek capital - and Evia, hitting the western Cyclades a bit later.

Eastern parts of the Peloponnese and the mainland should brace for particularly nasty storms on Friday afternoon and through Saturday morning, EMY said.

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection, meanwhile, is advising residents and visitors not to venture...