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Floods, wind damage as rare 'medicane' storm hits Greece

A view of a partially collapsed medical center next to the flooded Pamisos river, following a storm in the town of Mouzaki, in central Greece, September 19, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis

A view of a flooded cemetery following a storm in the village of Artesiano, in central Greece, September 19, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Boats are seen on a beach following a storm at the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos, battered parts of central Greece and some of the western Ionian islands, as emergency workers rescued more than 600 people. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

Seawater from crashing waves cover a road at the port of Argostoli, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. Hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall battered several islands off the western coast of Greece Friday, causing power outages and road closures, as authorities in nearby mainland areas remained on alert. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

A man cleans his boat from debris following a storm at the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos, battered parts of central Greece and some of the western Ionian islands. Emergency workers rescued more than 600 people. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

A Greek flag flatters in a beach near the town of Kyllini, as rare storm, known as a Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane), hit western Greece, September 18, 2020. REUTERS/Costas Baltas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Boats are seen on rocks at a beach following a storm at the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos, battered parts of central Greece and some of the western Ionian islands, as emergency workers rescued more than 600 people. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

This picture taken on September 19, 2020, shows vehicles blocked in a flooded road caused by the Mediterranean hurricane (Medicane) Ianos in Karditsa, central Greece. Two people died and one was missing on September 19 after central Greece was lashed by a rare hurricane-like storm known as a "medicane". Hundreds of people had to be rescued from flooded buildings as heavy rain and high wind wrecked homes, shops and warehouses in regions north of the capital Athens. / AFP / Kostas Mantziaris

A man carries rocks following a storm at the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos, battered parts of central Greece and some of the western Ionian islands, as emergency workers rescued more than 600 people. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

Waves break on a seaside tavern during a storm at the port of Argostoli, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos battered the western islands of Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and Ithaki overnight, causing flash flooding, property damage, power outages, and road closures mostly from downed trees, police and local authorities said. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

A street is covered with rocks following a storm at the village of Assos, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos, battered parts of central Greece and some of the western Ionian islands, as emergency workers rescued more than 600 people. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

Residents clean a sheet of glass next to a flooded street after a storm at Karditsa town, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Two people have died and one is reported missing in the central Greek region of Thessaly as a rainstorm pounded parts of central and western Greece overninght and caused rivers to burst their banks and flood surrounding areas. (AP Photo/Vaggelis Kousioras)

A local is seen in the yard of his flooded house following a storm near the village of Artesiano, in central Greece, September 19, 2020. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis

Residents clear mud from a road after the floods caused by the Mediterranean hurricane (Medicane) Ianos in Karditsa, central Greece, on September 19, 2020. Two people were found dead and another person was missing on September 19, 2020, after central Greece was lashed by a rare hurricane-like storm known as a "medicane". / AFP / Kostas Mantziaris

A man crosses a flooded street after a storm at Karditsa town, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Two people have died and one is reported missing in the central Greek region of Thessaly as a rainstorm pounded parts of central and western Greece overninght and caused rivers to burst their banks and flood surrounding areas. (AP Photo/Vaggelis Kousioras)

Sheep breeders save their animals from a flooded area, following a storm near the village of Megala Kalyvia, in central Greece, September 19, 2020. REUTERS/Giannis Floulis

A boat leans towards a wall during storm Ianos in Agia Efimia, Kefalonia, Greece September 18, 2020, in this still image from a social media video. Apostolos Moustakis/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

A man walks into a flooded road during a storm at the port of Argostoli, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, western Greece, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. A powerful tropical-like storm named Ianos battered the western islands of Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and Ithaki overnight, causing flash flooding, property damage, power outages, and road closures mostly from downed trees, police and local authorities said. (AP Photo/Nikiforos Stamenis)

Updated 20 September 2020 18:02

AFP

September 20, 2020 16:11

A rare hurricane-like storm hit western Greece on Friday, disrupting travel and causing floods and power outages on several Ionian Sea islands.

The storm was expected to head south after hitting the Peleponnese late Friday, hitting the Athens area, in a degraded state, overnight.

"We face intense conditions with winds and very strong rainfall," deputy minister for civil protection Nikos Hardalias told reporters.

Mediterranean cyclone Ianos, an unusual phenomenon also known as a "medicane", packed violent winds of up to 117 kilometres (73 miles) per hour according to the Greek civil protection agency.