Regional units of Greece

Island municipalities issued the largest number of new building permits in 2023, with the top five comprising Lefkada and Zakynthos in the Ionian, Paros and Naxos in the Cyclades, and the Dodecanese island of Rhodes, according to the National Statistical Service of Greece (ELSTAT). 

Livestock farmers affected by last summer's wildfires and September's Storm Daniel in Thessaly, Fthiotida and Evros, will be able to claim compensation starting this week, Rural Development and Food Minister Lefteris Avgenakis said on Monday.

The application period starts on March 7 and runs until April 30, with the government having earmarked a budget of €45 million.

Significant rain will hit large parts of Greece from late Sunday to Monday afternoon, the National Meteorological Service (EMY) says, updating its weather forecast.

Rains and storms will start in western and southwestern Greece late Sunday and, by early morning, will also engulf most of the mainland, except for the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the northeast.

The weather in Greece is set to change as of Sunday night, starting in the west, and spreading to the central and eastern mainland, the Cyclades islands and Crete and, lastly, the Eastern Aegean and Dodecanese Islands.

The bad weather will be accompanied by near-gale-force winds of up to 8 Beaufort and possibly hail.

There will be rain and storms mostly in the eastern parts of Greece on Friday, according to the latest forecast from the Athens National Observatory's Meteo.gr. 

Rain is expected in Thrace, Central and Eastern Macedonia, eastern Thessaly, Central Greece and the Peloponnese, the Aegean and Crete. 

Greece's National Meteorological Service (EMY) issued an emergency notice warning of thunderstorms and hail which are expected to hit the country as of Friday afternoon, starting from the northwestern regions.

All traffic on the Athens-Thessaloniki motorway from Nikea in Larissa to the border with Magnesia regional unit has been suspended due to flooding on the highway.

Thessaly regional police directorate ordered the road to be closed in both directions between the two points.

Two more people have died after being infected with West Nile virus, bringing the number of deaths to 13, as 11 new cases were recorded in the last week, according to the weekly epidemiological surveillance report by the National Public Health Organization (EODY).

Two more people have died in the past week after being infected by the West Nile virus, bringing to 13 the total number of deaths from the virus this year.

In its weekly epidemiological report, the National Public Health Organization said 100 infections have been already registered. Of these cases, 82 impacted the central nervous system and 12 resulted in mild manifestations.

A total of 89 cases of West Nile virus infection have been recorded in Greece since the beginning of 2023 until the present.

Of these cases, 74 had impacted the central nervous system and 15 had resulted in mild manifestations. In the last week, 31 new cases were diagnosed. Eleven deaths have been recorded. All were over 64 with the median age of death at 82.