- Anogeia soaked up a staggering 387 millimeters of rain in just two days, roughly matching what Heraklion typically sees in an entire year.
- While meteorologists worry about saturated soils, local delivery drivers on two-stroke scooters are out there treating flash floods like an extreme waterpark obstacle course.
- After a brief pause, a fresh wave of heavy storms and gale-force northerly winds up to 8 or 9 Beaufortrolls in starting Friday afternoon.
Crete has had an impressive amount of rain over the past two days, and the island is apparently not finished with it yet.
Anogeia recorded 387 millimeters of rain in just two days, according to meteorologist Manolis Lekkas. That is roughly 39 centimeters of water and, as Lekkas noted, approaches the average annual rainfall recorded in Heraklion.
The Lassithi Plateau recorded around 243 mm, while Agios Nikolaos received approximately 160 mm on Thursday alone. Sitia recorded around 54 mm, enough to cause problems from overflowing streams.
Much of the heaviest rain fell in mountainous areas, where the terrain has so far handled large amounts of water more effectively than densely built-up areas.
And that matters, because the same quantities falling over heavily developed urban areas would create a very different situation.
The ground has had enough
Rain is expected to ease somewhat overnight and on Friday morning, but conditions are forecast to deteriorate again from around Friday afternoon, with stronger rainfall and thunderstorms possible in parts of the island.
The bigger issue now is what has already happened underground.
After the amount of water that has fallen, soils across affected areas are saturated. That means additional rain has fewer places to go into the ground and is more likely to run across the surface, carrying water and debris into roads, streams and other vulnerable areas.
In other words, Crete has already had a very thorough soaking. The soil is not particularly interested in another one.
Friday night and Saturday look wetter
Rain and thunderstorms are expected to strengthen again from Friday evening and continue into Saturday.
Sunday is currently expected to bring more localized and gradually weakening weather, although forecasts remain subject to change. More substantial improvement is expected from Monday.
The exact location of the heaviest rainfall will make a significant difference to the impact.
Strong north winds are also on the way
The rain is not traveling alone.
Northern winds are expected to reach 6 to 7 Beaufort, locally 8, with some forecasts indicating the possibility of 9 Beaufort. Stronger winds over the seas could affect maritime travel and produce rough conditions along Crete’s northern coast.
Temperatures will also feel distinctly autumnal, with around 19–20°C expected along northern coastal areas and 21–22°C in the south.
Inland and mountain areas will be considerably cooler overnight, with temperatures dropping below 15°C and locally below 10°C.