Torrential downpours lash Greece, Turkey

MANY days of heavy rain have left some parts of the eastern Mediterranean underwater. Greece and Turkey have been particularly badly affected, and with the trail of refugees continuing to spill across the region, thousands of vulnerable people have been struggling to cope.

The last few days have seen a slow moving area of low pressure stagger across the Aegean Sea leaving heavy and steady rainfall across much of Greece. Aktion in the west of the country has recorded 160mm of rain in the past three days. The November average is 150mm.

Further north, Chrysoupoli had 46mm on Saturday and the rain is still falling.

It has been wetter still on the shores of western Turkey. Izmir, which also lies on the Aegean coast, had 119mm of rain in 24 hours.

The rain has been torrential across a good part of northern Greece.

The harsh weather exacerbates the existing challenge of accommodating hundreds of refugees near Macedonia where the borders have been closed.