At least six people were killed and dozens more injured when a massive storm struck the northern Greek region of Halkidiki on July 10. Tourists, including children, from the Czech Republic, Romania and Russia were reported to be among the dead. Emergency services received more than 600 calls during the storm, which unleashed rain, hail and gale-force winds on the region. This video shows lightning and heavy rain seen from a patio in Halkidiki. Credit: Chrisipa via Storyful </s> Debris are seen after a storm on a beach at Vergia village in Halkidiki region, northern Greece on July 11, 20...

(GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern 

Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added. 

Television footage showed overturned cars, fallen trees, torn roofs and mudslides. 

"Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said. 

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT. 

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said. 

Debris from a building killed a woman from 

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing. 

"It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency. 

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said. 

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning. 

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. 

 Download The Times of India News App for Latest World News (GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern THESSALONIKI (GREECE): Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added.Television footage showed overturned cars, fallen trees, torn roofs and mudslides."Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said.The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said.Debris from a building killed a woman from Romania and her child.According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing."It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency.At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

Dozens more were injured when strong winds hit the region of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, authorities added.

"Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone," Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece, said.

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, police said.

Debris from a building killed a woman from Romania and her child.

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing.

"It was an unprecedented phenomenon," very strong winds, tornadoes and violent hailstorms, Steriadis said, adding that Halkidiki had declared a state of emergency.

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> GALE-force winds, rain and hail storms struck the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, killing six tourists and injuring at least 100 others.

Here’s the latest updates on the Greek storm that has devastated the area.

Halkidiki is a region in northern Greece most noted for its three capes – Kassandra, Sithonia and Mount Athos.

It is just a 1.5 hour drive from the city of Thessaloniki.

Large parts of the region are wooded but also has sandy beaches which attract holidaymakers.

The most developed part is Kassandra which offers popular resorts and a lively night life.

There are a number of historic sites too, including Stageira, the birthplace of the philosopher Aristole and Olynthus which is noted for its ancient mosaic floors.

Will my holiday be affected?

The tourist region was devastated by a ferocious storm on July 10, 2019.

A total of six holidaymakers were killed including a toddler and an eight-year-old boy.

At least another 100 people were injured after the freak storms struck.

British holidaymakers were trapped in their hotels, buildings were damaged and cars were overturned in the carnage.

A 39-year-old man and a boy, aged two, who are believed to be from Russia, died after a tree fell on their vehicle, according to the Greek Reporter.

Two elderly Czech nationals were killed when strong winds swept away their travel trailer in Halkidiki, police said.

A woman and an eight-year-old boy, both from Romania, were killed after a roof collapsed on a restaurant in Nea Plagia.

‘ABSOLUTE CHAOS’ Brit mum tells how she fled powerful storms in Greece with her two kids A BRIT mum has told how she was forced to flee the deadly Greece storms last night with her two young children. Family travel blogger Emily revealed how everyone was caught off guard by the gale-force winds, saying she never seen “anything scarier”. She was at a hotel beach party in Halkidiki when the storm hit, cutting off the lights and power. “Our family got caught in severe and unexpected tropical storm in Halkidiki this evening that seemed to catch everyone off guard including our hotel,” Emily wrote on Twitter. “The storm hit very suddenly, killing the lights, all power, blowing down trees and everything around us. “There was wind, rain and sand lashing at us and it was absolute chaos with people (including children) screaming and running to find shelter. “We hid in the back of the bar for 10 minutes until water started coming in and rising by our feet. “With two young children with us we decided we had no choice but to make a run for it back to the hotel (5 minutes away) in the storm. “We ran with other families through roads with fallen trees and debris, barely able to see in the rain with our little ones bravely clinging to us.” Emily said they finally made it back to the hotel to find there was a blackout and lots more people and confusion. “It has taken some time, but we are finally back in our room (which was temporarily flooded) and I just wanted to say that I’ve never been caught in anything scarier,” she added.

Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, said: "It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this. It was so abrupt, and so sudden."

Officials have declared a state of emergency in Halkidiki and Greece's newly appointed citizens' protection minister is due to visit this morning.

Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described conditions as "extremely unusual" for this time of year.

A “red code” has been put in place for entire regions of central and Eastern Macedonia which are due to be in place for at least 24 hours.

 The red code warns about dangerous rainfall and strong thunderstorms.

A state of emergency has been declared for Halkidiki.

It is expected there will be widespread disruption in the area in the near future as electricity to places such as Nea Plagia is restored due to fallen power lines.

Although there is no official advice about visiting the area people are warned to avoid the worst affected areas for the time being. </s> Tornadoes and violent hailstorms killed six tourists including two children in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

Estimates of the injured ranged from at least 30 to more than 100 after the sudden and violent storm hit Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, on Wednesday night.

Trees were uprooted, vans flipped over and motorcycles scattered through the streets by gale-force winds, as rain and hail pelted the streets.

Videos from Halkidiki, which sits on the Greek mainland facing the Aegean Sea, shows lighting striking a tower block while wind and rain lashes against vehicles.

Two elderly Czech tourists were killed when strong winds and water swept away their travel trailer, police said.

Elsewhere in the region, a woman and an 8-year-old boy, both Romanian nationals, were killed after a roof collapsed on a restaurant in Nea Plagia.

A man and a young boy, both Russians, died after a tree collapsed near their hotel in the seaside town of Potidea, authorities said.

According to port police, a fisherman in his sixties was also missing.

Such severe weather is unusual in Greece, where summers are typically hot and dry. Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described conditions as 'extremely unusual' for this time of year.

'It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this,' Athansios Kaltsas, director of the Nea Moudania Medical Centre, where many of the injured were treated for fractures, told Greek television.

'It was so abrupt, and so sudden,' he said.

Kaltsas said patients taken to the clinic ranged in age from 8 months to over 70. Some suffered head injuries from trees and other falling objects.

Meteorologists forecast it would continue to rain in the area until about 9 a.m. on Thursday.

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT.

Authorities declared Halkidiki in a state of emergency, and Greece's newly appointed citizens' protection minister was due to visit early on Thursday.

At least 140 rescue workers were involved in the operation, emergency chief Vassilis Varthakoyannis said.

The minister for citizen protection, Michalis Chryssohoidis, will visit the site on Thursday morning.

The storms came after temperatures in Greece soared to 37 degrees centigrade (98 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past two days. </s> Six tourists have died and dozens were injured after storms hit a Greek tourist region.

Bad weather hit Halkidiki late on Wednesday, a peninsula in the north of the country popular with holidaymakers.

Footage on social media shows the terrifying scenes they faced as the area was battered by gale-force winds, rain and hailstorms.

Two children aged eight and two are among the fatalities.

Two elderly Czech nationals also died when strong winds swept away their travel trailer in Halkidiki, The Mirror has stated.

The Greek Reporter said a 39-year-old man and a boy, aged two, were killed after a tree fell on their vehicle.

Further tragedy came in Nea Plagia, where a woman and an eight-year-old boy lost their lives when a roof collapsed on a restaurant.

Among the injured at medical centres are those with fractures nd head injuries from falling objects.

"It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this," the medical centre director, Athansios Kaltsas, told OPEN TV.

"It was so abrupt, and so sudden."

Meteorologist Klearxos Marousakis described the weather conditions as "extremely unusual" for this time of year.

The area, including the city of Thessaloniki around an hour and a half away, has experienced temperatures nearing 40C in recent weeks.

Officials have declared a state of emergency and Greece's newly appointed citizens' protection minister is due to visit this morning.
• Do you know anyone who has been affected by the storm? Email melissa.jones@reachplc.com. </s> At least seven people died, including two children, and dozens were injured when a freak storm struck northern Greece.

Strong winds and torrential rain hit the popular tourist area of Halkidiki, near the city of Thessaloniki, on Wednesday night. </s> Six foreign tourists died and about 60 people were injured after a violent storm hit the Halkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, reports on July 11 said.

Storm damage from the strong winds and torrential rain included uprooted trees, fallen balconies, flooded hotels and houses, and roofs of restaurants torn off.

Reports said that the victims included a 54-year-old Romanian and her won who died after the roof of a tavern fell on them.

In Nea Potida, a Russian and her two-year-old son died after being hit by a falling tree as they were trying to make their way back to their hotel.

The caravan of two Czechs was carried away by the strong wind and they are also dead.

About 60 injured people sought medical attention. Two were reported to be in severe condition.

Driving in many areas is difficult because of damage to the road surface.

The olive harvest has been completely destroyed, Bulgarian National Television reported.

Halkidiki is a popular tourist destination for Bulgarians. Krassimir Serafimov, First Secretary of the Consulate General in Thessaloniki, said that so far there was no information about any injured Bulgarians. </s> Thessaloniki: Violent hail storms killed at least five tourists in northern Greece late Wednesday, police said.

A Czech couple died when strong winds blew their caravan away while a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree, they said.

Public television said there was possibly another victim of the storms which ripped through the region of Khalkidiki near the city of Thessaloniki.
An unexpected violent storm hits the Greek region of Halkidiki with heavy rain, hail, and strong winds, killing six foreign tourists.