A storm dubbed Athena by the National Meteorological Service (EMY) has reached the Ionian islands, and is expected to reach the eastern mainland, including Athens, over the next few days. Strong winds reached the islands of Corfu and Paxos last night, and heavy rain is starting to cause problems in some places. In Corfu town, a video captured indicate citizens should stay away from Potamou (River) Street, due to flooding.

The bad weather is also causing trouble for passengers heading to the Ionian islands. Several flights bound for Corfu’s Ioannis Kapodistrias Airport were forced to return to Athens, while ferry traffic between Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Kyllini has been cancelled until 18:00 today, or until further notice due to the strong, 7-8 Beaufort winds. Open deck ferryboat routes to and from for Corfu have also been cancelled until further notice.

An extreme weather warning was sent out from the General Secretariat for Civil Protection to cell phones of people in the affected areas in the Ionian, as well as in the region of Epirus and Western Central Greece. The cell broadcast urges everyone to avoid unnecessary transportation, and stay away from basements and areas with high flood risk.

The storm is moving slowly, and is not expected to reach the eastern mainland and the capital until Friday, but it will not let up for several days.