Gale-force winds up to 9 Beaufort halt ferries from Rafina and Lavrio as 42,275 passengers rush to Greek islands for August 15 holiday
Gale-force winds up to 9 Beaufort in the Aegean forced departure bans at the ports of Rafina and Lavrio on 14 August, disrupting the peak August 15 holiday getaway as over 42,000 passengers had already travelled the day before.
Holiday getaway disrupted by gale-force winds
The mass departure of holidaymakers for the three-day August 15 (Dekapentaugoustou) weekend hit obstacles on Friday 14 August, as adverse weather across many sea areas caused cancellations and delays in coastal ferry routes. A sailing ban was imposed at the ports of Rafina and Lavrio due to gale-force winds blowing across the Aegean. From the port of Piraeus, routes were being carried out at the discretion and responsibility of individual captains, though the Blue Star Paros route to Syros, Tinos, and Mykonos was cancelled. Authorities planned a reassessment of conditions at 11 a.m., with further updates expected on whether scheduled routes could proceed.
Wind conditions across the Aegean
According to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY), winds were blowing from the north-northeast: at force 4 to 6 in western areas, 5 to 7 in eastern areas, and reaching 8 and locally 9 Beaufort in the Aegean. The strong winds complicated travel at the peak of the holiday exodus, with the situation directly tied to how wind conditions evolved throughout the day. Any continuation of the adverse weather could cause further modifications or delays to scheduled routes.
- Mass holiday departures begin from all three Attica ports with increased traffic
- Departure bans imposed at Rafina and Lavrio due to gale-force winds in the Aegean
- Authorities scheduled a reassessment of weather and sailing conditions
Thursday's passenger traffic across three ports
The large-scale departure had already begun on Thursday 13 August, with increased traffic at all three major ports of Attica. From Piraeus, 24 ship departures carried 23,665 passengers to the Aegean islands, while 55 routes to the Argosaronic Gulf transported a total of 8,589 passengers. From Rafina, 15 routes served 7,267 departing passengers, and from Lavrio, 8 ships carried 2,754 passengers. In total, 42,275 passengers departed on Thursday across the three ports.
- Piraeus to Aegean
- 23665 passengers
- Piraeus to Argosaronic
- 8589 passengers
- Rafina
- 7267 passengers
- Lavrio
- 2754 passengers
Friday's scheduled departures from Piraeus
According to pre-bookings by ferry companies, 21 ship departures were scheduled from Piraeus on 14 August, with 22,894 passengers expected to travel to the Aegean islands. Traffic to the Argosaronic Gulf islands was also particularly high, with 35 passenger hydrofoil routes and 25 car-ferry routes planned, reaching 7,632 passengers in pre-bookings. Of those, 3,208 were expected to travel on fast craft and 4,424 on car-ferries. Whether all these routes would operate depended on the outcome of the 11 a.m. weather reassessment and any subsequent decisions by port authorities.
