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Greece has faced a very bad weather problem. A lot of rain fell in a short time, causing floods and damage in many places. Some people died and many lost their homes and things.
The rain was so much that it was like three years of rain in just two days. This happened in the central part of Greece, where there are mountains and valleys. The rainwater came down very fast and filled up the rivers and streams. The water also went over the roads and bridges, making it hard to travel or escape.
George Tsakraklides a User on X posted a video and wrote "The data is now official: 3 years’ worth of rain fell within two days. Scientists on Greek TV discussing the possibility of the formation of new, permanent lakes in the area. It is a new planet".
Intense rain caused floods, chaos
Flash flooding is short in duration but extremely intense, and typically happens within six hours of heavy rainfall. Unlike regular floods, which develop more slowly and can be predicted in advance, flash floods catch people off guard due to their rapid onset and are rarely recorded in the field.
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"Extraordinarily high ocean temperatures are likely to blame, according to climate scientists, turning a "fairly common" weather set-up into a powerhouse of energy."
According to the country's national meteorological service, the coastal village of Zagora received more than 750 millimeters of rain – more than a year's worth – in the space of just 18 hours on Tuesday.
Data shows, Larissa, which is its nearest major city and has also been hit with heavy rain, usually receives 413mm of rainfall in an entire year.
Meteo.org recorded 754mm within 24 hours at a station in Zagora, a village on the Pelion peninsula, surpassing the September 2020 record of 644.7mm in Paliki, Cephalonia. For comparison, Volos, a city about 10 miles south-west of Zagora, has an average annual rainfall of 802mm. This means that nearly a year’s worth of rain fell in one day.
Climatologist Monica Ionita said, "This has never happened before for Greece. There have been floods and damage, but the amount of rainfall that has fallen is really unprecedented."
Unusual weather, floods, fires, response
The rain was also very unusual for this time of the year. Usually, Greece has dry and hot weather in the summer and early autumn. But this year, the weather has been changing a lot. Before the rain, Greece had big fires that burned many forests and houses. The fires were also caused by hot and dry weather.
Some people say that the weather is becoming more dangerous because of climate change. Climate change is when the Earth gets warmer because of too much gas in the air. The gas comes from cars, factories, farms, and other things that people do. The gas traps the heat from the sun and makes the air warmer. This affects how the wind blows, how the clouds form, and how much rain falls.
The people in Greece are trying to deal with the floods and the damage. The government has sent help to the places that need it most. The help includes food, water, medicine, tents, and machines to clean up the mess. The government has also asked for help from other countries and groups. Some of them have sent money, supplies, or workers to help.
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