Hurricane Xenophon eyes Greece

Greece is bracing for a storm that brings with it hurricane force winds. The storm is expected to hit the southern parts of the Ionian Sea on late on Thursday. The National Observatory of Athens issued a warning saying that the rare phenomenon called Medicane, a Mediterranean hurricane, would likely exhibit tropical features, with hurricane force winds of 120 km/h, heavy rainfall and formation of a hurricane eye.

Mediterranean hurricanes are rare and occur about once or twice a year.

Greece is currently in the grip of high winds and un-seasonally low temperatures with the first snowfall of the season falling in mountain areas.

Schools in the Cycladic islands remained closed on Wednesday. Authorities in Attica received more than 350 calls as fallen trees and debris blocked roads in Greece's most populous region.

Port authorities have suspended operations at major ports of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrion.

Xenophon was a prominent Athenian historian and student of philosopher Socrates. He is a primary source for the history of the Peloponnesian War and has written the Apology of Socrates.

Latest ICON-EU model by @wxcharts showing the #medicane's track across central Med into Greece on Saturday and then across Rhodes island into SW Turkey on late Sunday. Severe winds and flash floods are expected!

Details: https://t.co/AwBVBFmTYx pic.twitter.com/fjtb61160k

— severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) 27 September 2018