The National Weather Service (EMY) issued an emergency weather bulletin on Sunday, warning of deteriorating conditions on Monday and Tuesday.
EMY forecasts locally heavy rain, thunderstorms primarily in coastal areas, strong winds at sea and snowfall in the mountains and semi-mountainous regions of central and northern Greece, especially in the northwest.
On Monday, heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to start in the northern Ionian islands and Epirus, quickly spreading to western Central Greece, other parts of the Ionian, and the western Peloponnese. By evening, the weather will begin to ease in the northwest.
By the afternoon, the storms will move to eastern Macedonia, Thrace, the eastern Aegean Islands, the Dodecanese and Crete. From Tuesday afternoon, the weather will be confined to the Dodecanese and will weaken.
Snowfall is also expected on Monday in the mountainous mainland and in the semi-mountainous areas of central and northern Greece, with heavy snow at times, particularly in western Macedonia. Snow will continue on Tuesday, with decreasing intensity, mainly from the afternoon onward.
In a statement, Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vasilis Kikilias recommended travelers heading to mountainous areas carry anti-skid chains.
“We expect strong rain and thunderstorms on Monday in Western Greece and on Tuesday in Thrace, the Eastern Aegean Islands, and Crete. Our strong recommendation throughout the holiday season is to carry anti-skid chains if you’re traveling, especially in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas,” he said.