Greece: Floods follow fatal storms

A heavy hailstorm and a tornado surprised thousands of tourists on the northern Greek peninsula of Halkidiki. Power went out, trees fell, and bricks and dumpsters flew through the air.

More than 60 people were injured bexcause of the storm, many from "chairs, bricks, dumpsters, and other objects flying through the area," according to Athanassios Kaltsas, the chief of the medical center in the small town of Moudania.

For at least six tourists, the storm came to a deadly end. These were the result of collapsed roofs and fallen trees. The victims came from Romania, Russia, and Czechia. Halkidiki is frequented by many eastern European visitors.

Civil defense chief Charalambos Stergiadis gave a televised statement: "I have never experienced winds so strong." Firefighters responded to at least 500 calls from people in need. The Greek Defense Ministry has sent soldiers with generators and clean-up equipment to the area.

According to eye witnesses, the storm lasted only 10 minutes. Yet it was so strong that trees were torn out at the roots, landslides began, and cars were even blown into the air. Charalambos Stergiadis called it an "unheard-of phenomenon."

Greek meteorologists spoke of two cyclones melding together before sweeping through the area. This phenomenon is rare and develops only in close proximity to the sea. Until the late evening, the area was experiencing high temperatures of up to 40 degrees C (104 F). The heat allowed for a great deal of seawater to evaporate, allowing the cyclones to gather steam.

Where exactly these storms strike is hard to predict. The storms in Greece came after days of extreme heat. A similar storm hit Italy, particularly on the Adriatic coast. Witnesses there described "hail stones as big as oranges."