Athens, 5 December 2025 (dpa/MIA) – Heavy rainfall and strong winds have led to massive disruptions around the Aegean Sea in Greece.

Within a few hours, numerous roads were flooded in Athens, on the Peloponnese peninsula and in Crete. Traffic came to a near standstill in some areas, the Greek broadcaster ERTnews reported on Friday.

According to the authorities, the current bad weather situation is among the most intense in years.

The civil protection agency warned that the storm was at a "critical phase" and was only expected to weaken slowly.

In parts of the Aegean, winds are prevailing at force 9 - meaning speeds up to 88 kilometres per hour - the weather office stated.

Schools remain closed in nine of Greece's 13 regions. People should work from home, where possible, the government said.

The fire brigade reported dozens of operations due to flooded buildings and overturned objects. In some areas, streets turned into raging torrents, sweeping away cars.

The East-West motorway, which connects Athens with the western port of Patras, had to be temporarily closed.

Flooding was also reported from the Sparta region on the Peloponnese peninsula.

Authorities urgently called on the population to avoid unnecessary journeys.

The civil protection agency urged people via SMS to avoid flooded underpasses, steep roads and areas over rivers.

Meteorologists said that an improvement in the weather is expected on Saturday.