Storm Erminio Pounds Greece: Crete's Skies Turn Apocalyptic Red
Image: The Weather Channel

Storm Erminio Pounds Greece: Crete's Skies Turn Apocalyptic Red

02 April, 2026.Technology and Science.20 sources

Key Takeaways

  • A man died near Athens during Storm Erminio amid floods and high winds.
  • Crete's skies turned orange as Saharan dust enveloped the island, disrupting flights.
  • Flights were rerouted or grounded on Crete and Athens due to the dust storm.

Saharan Dust Chokes Crete

Crete was enveloped in thick Saharan dust that turned the skies red-orange.

Storm Erminio brought heavy rain, gale-force winds, and flooding throughout Greece.

Image from 3BMeteo
3BMeteo3BMeteo

Heraklion Airport was effectively shut down as flights were diverted.

Residents wore face masks to protect against the suffocating dust.

Storm Kills Man Near Athens

A man was swept away by floodwaters near Athens and found trapped under a car.

The storm forced school closures and knocked down a bridge on Poros.

Image from Air Journal
Air JournalAir Journal

The fire department received 674 calls for assistance.

A red weather warning was in place in Crete.

Widespread Infrastructure Disruptions

Ferries were moored and traffic gridlock affected Athens.

Emergency crews were inundated with calls on Rhodes and Kos.

The Canary Islands faced flight cancellations due to the same dust storm.

Aegean and Olympic Air grounded multiple island routes.

Mediterranean Cyclone Brings Multi-Nation Impact

Storm Erminio was one of the most violent meteorological episodes in decades.

The system impacted Italy, Greece, and North Africa simultaneously.

Image from BBC
BBCBBC

Historic early-April snowfall hit the Italian Apennines.

Cold polar air brought plummeting temperatures to Algeria and Tunisia.

More on Technology and Science