Deadly flooding hits Europe as deaths reported in Greece and Turkey

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Heavy rain has caused chaos and flooding in parts of Europe. One person has died on a Greek island and two people have died in Istanbul. A 62-year-old man died in Rhodes on Wednesday after a torrent of water swept his car onto a beach during a heavy rainstorm on the tourist island, authorities said. The man's body was found near a small seaside village about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the town of Rhodes, while four cars had been washed away due to the severe weather , the coast guard said in a statement. Footage on social media showed a car swept away in muddy waters. Authorities have advised people on Rhodes and other islands in the Aegean Sea to limit travel as heavy rain has flooded streets and caused rivers to overflow. Meanwhile in Turkey, schools in Istanbul will remain closed on Thursday after heavy rain brought flooding to the city, the Istanbul governor's office has said. Education will be suspended for a day, the governor's office said. The downpour on Wednesday flooded homes and businesses and left roads and underpasses inundated. Local media reported two deaths. A 14-year-old was electrocuted after stepping in a puddle at a park in the Fatih district, and a 34-year-old slipped on a sidewalk in the Sariyer district and hit their head. Vehicles were stranded and traffic chaos followed in the city, which has a population of around 16 million. open image in gallery Vehicles are stranded in a partially flooded highway during heavy rains in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Egecan Ozguner) ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Footage showed bystanders in one district rescuing a woman who was being swept down a street by the floodwaters. Firefighters rescued another person who was trapped inside a flooded basement. Images showed several parked cars being swept by the floods in another neighborhood. Motorcycles were barred from traffic. open image in gallery People shelter from heavy rainfall at a bus stop in Uskudar district, Istanbul, on October 14, 2026 ( AFP/Getty ) The governor's office said state employees with disabilities and mothers with young children would be placed on leave. Residents were advised to stay home unless travel was absolutely necessary. The flooding comes amid recent El Nino warnings. The climate pattern occurs when sea-surface temperatures in parts of the tropical Pacific become warmer than average and can affect weather patterns in Europe. Historically, El Nino events have tended to be associated with warmer, wetter and stormier conditions across the UK and northern Europe during late autumn and early winter.