Storm in western Greece closes schools, disrupts flights, ferry services
All primary and secondary schools in the Ionian islands of Corfu and Paxoi remained closed on Thursday, while four flights to Corfu had to be diverted and several ferry routes cancelled due to a wet weather system that battered western parts of Greece.
Civil Protection send SMS messages though the emergency 112 number to residents of Corfu and Paxoi urging them to limit their travel in areas that may flood.
Two flights from Athens heading to Corfu were forced to return to the capital, one flight from Naples changed direction and landed in Athens, while a flight from Warsaw was expected to land in Preveza, in western Greece, the head of Corfu’s Civil Aviation Authority’s employees association, Dimitris Roussos, told state-run news agency AMNA on Thursday.
“The bad weather that affects the island caused low visibility at the airport, making it impossible for the planes to land,” he said.
Ferry services to Zakynthos and Cephalonia have been suspended due to strong winds, while the Zakynthos-Kyllini and Cephalonia-Kyllini routes will not operate until 6 p.m. when a new announcement is expected.
Open-type ferries will remain docked in the ports of Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Lefkimmi, while ferry routes with closed-type ships have so far continued their services. Corfu Port Authority said winds in the Ionian reached 7-8 on the Beaufort scale.
