Saharan dust storm turns sky red over holiday island of Crete

A powerful storm front that lashed Greece over the past 24 hours has brought gale-force winds and flooding that left one man dead and turned the sky over Crete a deep red.

The sky’s surreal red hues were reminiscent of apocalyptic scenes over Crete where the storm that hit the island with gale-force winds combined with a Saharan dust storm.

On the mainland, Greek media reports said a 55-year-old man died after becoming trapped under a car as he was swept away by surging waters in the town of Nea Makri, some 16 miles north-east of the Greek capital Athens.

Fire department official Yiannis Tsingas told state radio that fire engines responded to some 500 calls for assistance including cutting felled trees, pumping water out of flooded homes and rescuing 33 people trapped by the high floodwaters.

Power was down in various suburbs of Athens while traffic built up in the city centre from downed trees and cars stalled as a result of high waters.

On other islands in the Aegean, streets turned into small rivers while stormy seas compounded the heavy rain on coastal areas.

On the island of Paros, vehicles were swept away while a small bridge collapsed. The island’s mayor said schools were closed on Thursday.