Greece issues orange weather alert for six regions ahead of weekend storms
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service has placed six regions on orange alert, forecasting severe rain, thunderstorms, and hail across the Ionian Islands, the Peloponnese, and Evia through 27 September 2026.
Meteorological warnings and alert status
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) issued an updated emergency weather deterioration bulletin on Saturday, 26 September 2026, maintaining an orange alert for six administrative regions across Greece. The initial notice, designated as emergency bulletin number 13/2026, was published on Friday, 25 September at 12:00 local time and updated at 00:00 on Saturday following revised atmospheric model data. The forecast warns of localized heavy rainfall, intense thunderstorms, and possible hail across various parts of the country throughout the weekend. The National Observatory of Athens and its weather service meteo.gr reported that storm activity will start in the northwest and gradually spread across the mainland before concentrating on eastern and southern territories. EMY indicated that emergency bulletins will be updated at 12-hour intervals on its digital portal as new satellite and radar readings arrive.
Initial impact in northwestern Greece and the Ionian
Atmospheric conditions are scheduled to deteriorate beginning on the evening and night of Friday, 25 September 2026. The initial phase of the storm system will focus on northwestern Greece, bringing heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to the island of Corfu, the region of Epirus, and western Central Greece through the late night hours. As the front advances into Saturday, 26 September, severe weather will transition toward the remaining Ionian Islands from early morning until the pre-noon period. In its updated bulletin, the meteorological service noted minor revisions from the initial Friday forecast, explicitly excluding Corfu and Paxoi from the secondary Saturday morning alert window for the Ionian group. Weather maps published by meteo.gr indicated that intense precipitation will concentrate over western sea channels and adjacent coastal belts during the overnight hours into early Saturday.
Expansion across the Peloponnese and Kythira
From the midday hours of Saturday, 26 September through late at night, the storm front will expand across southern mainland Greece and adjacent islands. Meteorologists expect substantial precipitation across the Peloponnese, with the heaviest rainfall projected for the regional units of Laconia, eastern Arcadia, southern Argolida, and Messinia, including the municipality of Sparta. The island of Kythira, situated south of the Peloponnese, will also experience strong storms and potential hail during this midday to late-night window. The National Observatory of Athens noted that central and southern sectors of the Peloponnese will register notable rainfall accumulations during Saturday before the front gradually shifts toward the Aegean basin.
- Storms and heavy rain begin across Corfu, Epirus, and western Central Greece
- Rain and thunderstorms move across the Ionian Islands excluding Corfu and Paxoi
- Severe weather reaches the Peloponnese and Kythira with potential hail
- Heavy precipitation moves to Evia, eastern Thessaly, and the Sporades
Sunday trajectory across eastern regions
On Sunday, 27 September 2026, the weather system will concentrate over central and eastern sections of Greece from the early morning until midday. The island of Evia will remain directly in the path of the storm system, facing prolonged rainfall and thunderstorm activity during these morning hours. In addition, temporary severe weather will affect eastern Thessaly, primarily the regional unit of Magnesia, as well as the islands of the Sporades archipelago. These eastern regions are expected to experience localized downpours and hail risks before the system begins to weaken later in the day. EMY confirmed that the emergency advisory remains active and subject to consecutive 12-hour updates on the official agency portal.
