Greece's weather service issues orange alert for Friday storms across northern and central regions
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service issued an emergency bulletin on Thursday warning of a sharp weather deterioration on Friday, with intense rainfall, frequent lightning, strong winds and possible hail expected across northern and central Greece.
Sudden shift on Friday
A rapid change in weather conditions will affect northern and central Greece on Friday, 12 June 2026, according to an emergency deterioration bulletin issued by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS). The service has activated an orange warning level for the event. Localised heavy rain and thunderstorms will be accompanied temporarily by strong winds, described as squalls, a high frequency of lightning, and the possibility of local hailstorms.
Regional timeline
The HNMS provided a detailed breakdown of when and where the phenomena will strike. In Macedonia, the storms are forecast from the late morning hours until the evening, with the exception of the Halkidiki region, where the phenomena will persist into the early morning hours of Saturday. In Epirus and Thessaly, the severe weather is expected from midday until the evening. The Sporades islands and Evia will be affected from Friday evening through to the late morning hours of Saturday. Eastern Sterea will see storms from the afternoon until the evening on Friday.
- Macedonia: storms begin from late morning, lasting until evening (Halkidiki until early Saturday)
- Epirus and Thessaly: storms from midday until evening
- Eastern Sterea: storms from afternoon until evening
- Sporades and Evia: storms from Friday evening until late Saturday morning
Warnings and alerts
The bulletin, issued on Thursday morning local time, carries an orange warning classification. The HNMS notes that the emergency bulletin will be updated within 24 hours. Citizens are advised to follow official warnings through the Meteoalarm platform for both Greece and Europe. The service also directs the public to its website for a general overview of the weather's evolution.
What to expect
The phenomena are characterised as an express deterioration, with the main risks being localised flooding from heavy downpours, damage from strong wind gusts, and disruption from frequent lightning strikes. The possibility of hail adds an additional hazard for agriculture and property in the affected zones. No specific rainfall totals or wind-speed estimates were provided in the bulletin.
