Severe rain and flood warnings issued for central Greece and western Turkey after fatal tornado in Antalya

Authorities in Greece and Turkey have issued severe rainfall and flooding warnings as heavy rain and strong winds continue to affect parts of the region. The warnings come as an area of low pressure has helped trigger powerful thunderstorms across south-eastern Europe and western Turkey. Forecasters say central Greece and western parts of Turkey could receive 100-150mm of rain this week, with locally higher totals possible.

The weather system has already caused deadly damage in Turkey. During a particularly intense thunderstorm in Antalya, a coastal city in the south-west of the country, a tornado formed and killed four construction workers on Tuesday. The incident has added urgency to the latest warnings, with officials watching for further flooding, wind damage and disruption in exposed areas.

The combination of heavy rain and strong winds is expected to continue over the next few days. The immediate concern is the risk of flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas, along with possible disruption to transport and local infrastructure. Heavy rainfall of the scale forecast can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, especially where storms are slow-moving or repeated.

In coastal and inland districts alike, the main hazards are likely to be flooding, falling debris and dangerous travel conditions. The warnings matter because the same weather pattern is affecting more than one country at once, increasing the chance of cross-border disruption. Greece and Turkey both face the prospect of localised flooding, while the fatal tornado in Antalya underlines how quickly severe thunderstorms can turn dangerous.

For emergency planners, the situation is a reminder that intense rainfall events can bring both immediate safety risks and wider economic disruption. The current alerts also fit a broader pattern of unstable weather linked to the low-pressure system over the region. Such systems can produce thunderstorms, strong gusts and concentrated bursts of rain over a short period, making impacts difficult to predict precisely at local level.

In this case, the forecast of locally higher totals means some communities could see conditions worse than the regional average suggests. What remains unclear is where the heaviest rain will fall and whether the warnings will need to be extended or upgraded as the system moves on. Officials will be watching for flooding, landslides and any further storm-related damage in the coming days.

The key question now is how much rain actually materialises and how effectively local authorities can limit disruption and protect residents.

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