Debris are seen after a storm on a beach at Vergia village in Halkidiki region, northern Greece on July 11, 20...

(GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern 

Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added. 

Television footage showed overturned cars, fallen trees, torn roofs and mudslides. 

"Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said. 

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT. 

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said. 

Debris from a building killed a woman from 

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing. 

"It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency. 

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said. 

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning. 

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. 

 Download The Times of India News App for Latest World News (GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern THESSALONIKI (GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added.Television footage showed overturned cars, fallen trees, torn roofs and mudslides."Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said.The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said.Debris from a building killed a woman from Romania and her child.According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing."It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency.At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists including two children in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

Estimates of the injured ranged from at least 30 to more than 100 after the sudden and violent storm hit Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, on Wednesday night.

Trees were uprooted, vans flipped over and motorcycles scattered through the streets by gale-force winds, as rain and hail pelted the streets.

Videos from Halkidiki, which sits on the Greek mainland facing the Aegean Sea, shows lighting striking a tower block while wind and rain lashes against vehicles.

Two elderly Czech tourists were killed when strong winds and water swept away their travel trailer, police said.

Elsewhere in the region, a woman and an 8-year-old boy, both Romanian nationals, were killed after a roof collapsed on a restaurant in Nea Plagia.

A man and a young boy, both Russians, died after a tree collapsed near their hotel in the seaside town of Potidea, authorities said.

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing.

Such severe weather is unusual in Greece, where summers are typically hot and dry. Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described conditions as 'extremely unusual' for this time of year.

'It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this,' Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, where many of the injured were treated for fractures, told Greek television.

'It was so abrupt, and so sudden,' he said.

Kaltsas said patients taken to the clinic ranged in age from 8 months to over 70. Some suffered head injuries from trees and other falling objects.

Meteorologists forecast it would continue to rain in the area until about 9 a.m. on Thursday.

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.

Authorities declared Halkidiki in a state of emergency, and Greece's newly appointed citizens' protection minister was due to visit early on Thursday.

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption People take shelter as storms batter northern Greece

Seven people, including six tourists, have been killed in a violent storm that swept across a region of northern Greece on Wednesday night.

Gale-force winds, heavy rain and hailstorms lashed Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki.

A Czech couple died when their caravan was blown away, and two Romanians and two Russians also died. A seventh body was later found in the sea.

Officials say at least 100 others were injured, with 23 people hospitalised.

A state of emergency has been declared, with dozens of rescue workers dispatched to help.

Image copyright Constantine Emmanouilidi Image caption A local photographer and storm chaser caught the dramatic lightning on a 150-second long exposure

Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, described the storm as an "unprecedented phenomenon".

It followed a spell of very hot weather in Greece with temperatures soaring to 37C (98F) over the past two days.

Winds of more than 60mph (100km/h) were recorded in the region, Reuters news agency reports.

Scenes of 'chaos'

Images and video posted on social media show trees toppled, cars overturned and buildings damaged.

Emily Kishtoo, from Surrey in the UK, was at a beach party with her family when the storm hit on Wednesday night.

"It literally came out of nowhere," she told the BBC. "The lights cut out on the beach that we were in - it was chaos.

"People running, screaming and just trying to basically get off the beach."

Image copyright EPA Image caption The damaged caravan of two elderly Czech tourists who died

Image copyright Holly Ellis Image caption Another British tourist, Holly Ellis, said windows were broken and trees downed in her hotel at Portes Beach

She says staff at the resort where she was staying with her children, aged three and five, directed the family to a bar area - which then began to flood.

"We've got two young children, there were lots of children crying, obviously very upset, very, very scared."

Electricity access at the resort has been intermittent since, she said, with no running water on Thursday morning.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC Weather's Matt Taylor looks at the development of the violent storms across eastern Europe.

Witnesses say the worst of the freak storm lasted only about 20 minutes.

The Romanian woman and her child were killed when the roof of a restaurant collapsed at Nea Plagia, officials say, while the Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree near their hotel in the seaside resort of Potidea.

A seventh body was later found in the sea on Thursday. Formal identification is yet to take place, but a 62-year-old Greek fisherman was reported missing in the area.

Those injured are mostly tourists, officials say.

"It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this," said Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre which treated many of the injured.

"It was so abrupt, so sudden."

The country's newly elected Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cancelled his schedule and is being briefed on the situation, officials say.

Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos was quoted as saying the army was ready to clear debris and would offer generators - amid reports up to 80% of the area lost its power.

This is the latest in a series of other extreme weather events across Europe in recent weeks. A heat-wave brought record June temperatures to several countries.

Golf ball-sized hail has been reported in parts of the south of France and Italy and there were forest fires in Sicily on Wednesday, including in popular beach resort areas. </s> Greece storm: Two children among seven people dead in rare Halkidiki storm

Greece storm: Two children among seven people dead in rare Halkidiki storm

An overturned vehicle on a beach at Sozopoli village in Halkidiki region, northern Greece

Two children are among seven people to have died after a severe storm struck a tourist hotspot in Greece.

Gale-force winds, rain and hailstorms swept through the northern region of Halkidiki late on Wednesday, with two elderly tourists from the Czech Republic killed when strong winds and water hit their travel trailer.

Two Russians - a man and a boy - died after a tree came down near their hotel in the town of Potidea, while a woman and an eight-year-old boy from Romania were killed after a roof collapsed on a restaurant in Nea Plagia.

A body was also found at sea, identified as a local missing fisherman.

More than 100 people have also been injured due to the extreme conditions, with a local hospital treating patients aged from eight months to over 70.

Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, where many of the injured were treated for fractures, said the weather was unprecedented.

"It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this," he told Greek television.

"It was so abrupt, and so sudden."

Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described the conditions as "extremely unusual" for this time of year, with Greece accustomed to hot and dry summers.

Crews are also working to restore power that was knocked out to 80% of the area, whilst the fire service said it had received more than 1200 requests for assistance.

Temperatures had soared to around 37C (98.6F) in the days leading up to the storm.

Some 140 firefighters are still operating in the area, which is located near the city of Thessaloniki and encompasses a number of scenic seaside towns and villages, with authorities having declared a state of emergency.

Many homes and businesses have been left without power, with the winds having toppled electricity pylons.

The citizens' protections minister - newly appointed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis - was due to visit the region early on Thursday, although heavy rain was forecast to continue until around 9am local time (7am BST). </s> Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added.

"Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said.

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said.

Debris from a building killed a woman from Romania and her child.

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing.

"It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency.

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> Thessaloniki, Greece, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2019 ) :Violent hail storms killed at least five tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, they added.

ERT television said the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, was declared a state of emergency and that the minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, went to observe the rescue operation on Wednesday evening.

Temperatures in Greece have reached 37 degrees centigrade in the past two days, and the country was hit on Wednesday night by violent hail storms and gusts of wind, particularly in the north. </s> Six foreign tourists died and about 60 people were injured after a violent storm hit the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, reports on July 11 said.

Storm damage from the strong winds and torrential rain included uprooted trees, fallen balconies, flooded hotels and houses, and roofs of restaurants torn off.

Reports said that the victims included a 54-year-old Romanian and her won who died after the roof of a tavern fell on them.

In Nea Potida, a Russian and her two-year-old son died after being hit by a falling tree as they were trying to make their way back to their hotel.

The caravan of two Czechs was carried away by the strong wind and they are also dead.

About 60 injured people sought medical attention. Two were reported to be in severe condition.

Driving in many areas is difficult because of damage to the road surface.

The olive harvest has been completely destroyed, Bulgarian National Television reported.

Halkidiki is a popular tourist destination for Bulgarians. Krassimir Serafimov, First Secretary of the Consulate General in Thessaloniki, said that so far there was no information about any injured Bulgarians. </s> Thessaloniki: Violent hail storms killed at least five tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, they said.

Public television said there was possibly another victim of the storms which ripped through the region of Khalkidiki near the city of Thessaloniki. </s> ATHENS/NEA PLAYIA — Six foreigners including two children were killed and more than 100 other people injured when a violent, short-lived storm lashed northern Greece overnight, felling trees and ripping off rooftops.

Witnesses reported the storm had come and gone in a matter of minutes. Winds of over 100 kph (60 mph) were reported on the Halkidiki peninsula, popular with tourists in the summer.

Two elderly Czech tourists were killed when strong winds and water overturned their travel trailer, police said.

A woman and an 8-year-old boy from Romania were killed when a roof collapsed on a restaurant in the beach resort of Nea Plagia. And a man and a young boy, both Russians, died when a tree fell near their hotel in the seaside town of Potidea, authorities said.

Streets in the area were dotted with uprooted pine trees and overturned motorcycles, and wooden rooftops had been torn off and dumped on beaches. A Reuters correspondent saw sun loungers strewn in mangled heaps with other debris across Nea Plagia’s golden beaches.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose government was sworn in this week after winning elections on July 7, canceled his morning schedule and was being continuously briefed, a government official said.

Civil Protection Minister Mihalis Chrisochoidis, at the scene, said Greece was mourning the loss of life, adding: “In coming days all damage will be repaired.”

Such severe storms are unusual in Greece, where summers are typically hot and dry. But the tragedy had echoes of a wildfire almost a year ago that raced through the resort of Mati almost without warning, fanned by hot winds, trapping many inhabitants before they could flee and killing 100 people.

“It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this,” Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, where many of the injured were treated for fractures, told Greek television.

“It was so abrupt, and so sudden.”

Kaltsas said patients taken to the clinic ranged in age from 8 months to over 70. Some had head injuries from trees and other falling objects.

Authorities said around 100 people, mostly tourists, had been injured, and 23 of those had been admitted to hospital. There were widespread power cuts.

“Here we dealing with a new situation,” geology and natural disasters expert Efthymios Lekkas told Skai TV. “Climate change is an accelerated and self-sustaining cycle that creates new hazards, with increased duration and intensity.” </s> GALE-force winds, rain and hail storms struck the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, killing six tourists and injuring at least 100 others.

Here’s the latest updates on the Greek storm that has devastated the area.

Halkidiki is a region in northern Greece most noted for its three capes – Kassandra, Sithonia and Mount Athos.

It is just a 1.5 hour drive from the city of Thessaloniki.

Large parts of the region are wooded but also has sandy beaches which attract holidaymakers.

The most developed part is Kassandra which offers popular resorts and a lively night life.

There are a number of historic sites too, including Stageira, the birthplace of the philosopher Aristole and Olynthus which is noted for its ancient mosaic floors.

Will my holiday be affected?

The tourist region was devastated by a ferocious storm on July 10, 2019.

A total of six holidaymakers were killed including a toddler and an eight-year-old boy.

At least another 100 people were injured after the freak storms struck.

British holidaymakers were trapped in their hotels, buildings were damaged and cars were overturned in the carnage.

A 39-year-old man and a boy, aged two, who are believed to be from Russia, died after a tree fell on their vehicle, according to the Greek Reporter.

Two elderly Czech nationals were killed when strong winds swept away their travel trailer in Halkidiki, police said.

A woman and an eight-year-old boy, both from Romania, were killed after a roof collapsed on a restaurant in Nea Plagia.

‘ABSOLUTE CHAOS’ Brit mum tells how she fled powerful storms in Greece with her two kids A BRIT mum has told how she was forced to flee the deadly Greece storms last night with her two young children. Family travel blogger Emily revealed how everyone was caught off guard by the gale-force winds, saying she never seen “anything scarier”. She was at a hotel beach party in Halkidiki when the storm hit, cutting off the lights and power. “Our family got caught in severe and unexpected tropical storm in Halkidiki this evening that seemed to catch everyone off guard including our hotel,” Emily wrote on Twitter. “The storm hit very suddenly, killing the lights, all power, blowing down trees and everything around us. “There was wind, rain and sand lashing at us and it was absolute chaos with people (including children) screaming and running to find shelter. “We hid in the back of the bar for 10 minutes until water started coming in and rising by our feet. “With two young children with us we decided we had no choice but to make a run for it back to the hotel (5 minutes away) in the storm. “We ran with other families through roads with fallen trees and debris, barely able to see in the rain with our little ones bravely clinging to us.” Emily said they finally made it back to the hotel to find there was a blackout and lots more people and confusion. “It has taken some time, but we are finally back in our room (which was temporarily flooded) and I just wanted to say that I’ve never been caught in anything scarier,” she added.

Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, said: "It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this. It was so abrupt, and so sudden."

Officials have declared a state of emergency in Halkidiki and Greece's newly appointed citizens' protection minister is due to visit this morning.

Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described conditions as "extremely unusual" for this time of year.

A “red code” has been put in place for entire regions of central and Eastern Macedonia which are due to be in place for at least 24 hours.

 The red code warns about dangerous rainfall and strong thunderstorms.

A state of emergency has been declared for Halkidiki.

It is expected there will be widespread disruption in the area in the near future as electricity to places such as Nea Plagia is restored due to fallen power lines.

Although there is no official advice about visiting the area people are warned to avoid the worst affected areas for the time being.
Seven people, including six foreign tourists, are killed and 100 others injured during a violent storm that swept across Thessaloniki, Greece.