Severe Storms Batter Greek Islands for a Second Day, with Crete Hardest Hit

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows the port of Naousa, after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP)
An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows the port of Naousa, after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP)
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Severe Storms Batter Greek Islands for a Second Day, with Crete Hardest Hit

An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows the port of Naousa, after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP)
An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows the port of Naousa, after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP)

Severe storms battered islands in Greece for a second day Tuesday, with Crete experiencing the heaviest rainfall. Authorities on Paros and Mykonos, meanwhile, worked to clear overturned cars and debris following hailstorms and torrential downpours.

On Monday, storms in Paros sent cars floating into the sea and flooded homes and businesses with water and mud. Authorities have requested emergency government assistance to address road and infrastructure damage. Nearby Mykonos also endured hailstorms and powerful winds.

Rescue crews on Crete assisted seven people in vehicles trapped by floodwaters while rockslides and road closures were reported on the island after the storm overnight pushed toward the southeast. The highest rainfall in the previous 24 hours through Tuesday afternoon was recorded near the Cretan port of Chania, according National Observatory of Athens.

Rhodes faced gale-force winds that toppled trees and damaged vehicles.

Schools were closed across multiple islands, and the storms halted or disrupted ferry services.

The severe weather primarily impacted islands in the Cyclades chain in the central Aegean, a popular vacation destination known for its beaches and whitewashed houses.

The storms struck just weeks after a rare earthquake swarm forced thousands to flee Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi.



Scaffolding Goes up in Venice to Save Banksy’s Migrant Mural

People work at the beginning of the restoration process of Banksy's 'Migrant Child', the mural depicting a migrant child wearing a lifejacket and holding a pink flare in Venice, Italy, June 17, 2025. (Reuters)
People work at the beginning of the restoration process of Banksy's 'Migrant Child', the mural depicting a migrant child wearing a lifejacket and holding a pink flare in Venice, Italy, June 17, 2025. (Reuters)
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Scaffolding Goes up in Venice to Save Banksy’s Migrant Mural

People work at the beginning of the restoration process of Banksy's 'Migrant Child', the mural depicting a migrant child wearing a lifejacket and holding a pink flare in Venice, Italy, June 17, 2025. (Reuters)
People work at the beginning of the restoration process of Banksy's 'Migrant Child', the mural depicting a migrant child wearing a lifejacket and holding a pink flare in Venice, Italy, June 17, 2025. (Reuters)

Scaffolding went up in Venice on Tuesday to restore a mural by the elusive street artist Banksy that had appeared on the side of a 17th century building in the lagoon city six years ago.

"Migrant Child" shows a boy wearing a lifejacket and holding a pink flare, representing the artist's support for migrant sea rescue charities.

But being exposed to Venice's notorious humidity and painted on the canal-facing side of a crumbling palazzo, it was in danger of fading into oblivion.

The building, unoccupied when Banksy worked on it, was bought last year by an Italian bank that is now funding its entire restoration, mural included.

Banca Ifis is planning to turn the Palazzo San Pantalon into an exhibition space linked to the Venice Biennale art fair, it said in a statement.

The three-story building is in the Dorsoduro neighborhood, near Venice's main university. The well-known Zaha Hadid Architects studio is working on the renovation project.