Earth

The Earth's natural satellite is more ancient than previously thought.

Scientists at the University of Cologne, Germany, have found that the moon formed 50 million years after the birth of the solar system, reported Phys.org and BTA.

The Eastern Mediterranean and Greece run the risk of desertification over coming decades according to climate experts who spoke to Kathimerini on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on Monday.

Heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours has triggered flash floods and floods in 34 areas in the counties of Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Cluj, Constanta, Galati, Hunedoara, Iasi, Maramures, Neamt, Salaj, and Suceava.

During the day over the country there will be variable clouds, more significant in the afternoon, when in individual places, mainly in the mountainous regions will pass and overwhelm. It will be temperate in the Danube plain and a temporary wind from the west-northwest. Minimum temperatures will be between 6 and 11 degrees, the maximum - mostly between 18 and 23 degrees.

A months-long investigation into the causes of catastrophic floods in Mandra, western Attica, in November 2017, which killed 25, injured 13 and caused massive damage to homes and infrastructure, has pointed to negligence by local and regional authorities, noting that no flood prevention works had been carried out to avert such a disaster.

It will be a mostly sunny day with light to moderate wind from east-northeast. Day temperatures will rise, reaching highs between 8°C and 13°C, in Sofia about 8°C, meteorologist Boryana Markova, National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, told Focus News Agency. Air pressure, higher than the average for the month, will go down a little during the day.

The search for a 61-year-old livestock farmer who went missing during flooding on Monday in Hania, Crete, resumed at first light on Tuesday.

The father of five has been missing since Monday afternoon, when his car was reportedly swept away in a flash flood in the area of Apokorona as he was driving to check on his animals during a storm.

The weather system Okeanis swept across Greece over the weekend, pushing down temperatures and bringing snowfall to much of northern Greece and mountainous parts of Attica.
The cold snap hit the north hardest, taxing motorists and cutting off access to the monastic community of Mount Athos.

 Since yesterday mobile teams of the Ministry of Tourism have been monitoring what is happening with the coastal dunes, instead of waiting for the summer season, Minister Nikolina Angelkova told BTV in the morning.

Air quality in Sofia improved last year compared to 2017. Exceedances of fine particulate matter standards were 17% lower in 2018 compared to the previous year.