On Thursday afternoon, May 9, 2024, the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece was besieged by a severe storm, unleashing heavy rain accompanied by hail. Within moments, streets and pavements succumbed to rising waters, trapping drivers in their vehicles and inundating shops in the city center.

Amid the chaos, shop owner Stelios found himself at the epicenter of the deluge, his establishment teetering on the brink of submersion.

He told Newsflare: "There was no help from the authorities. They left us at the mercy of the weather. The water was rushing like a wave towards my shop window. Fortunately, the window did not break because inside my business there were people who found shelter from the rain."

Severe weather hits the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece on Thursday afternoon 09.05.2024 - A storm, with heavy rain accompanied by hail, caused flooded streets and pavements in the urban complex of Thessaloniki. Within a few minutes, roads turned into rivers. Drivers were trapped in their vehicles while shops in the city center were flooded.

A shop owner named Stelios talked on camera, he was inside his shop during the flash flood (timestamp 01:20-01:30)
"There was no help from the authorities. They left us at the mercy of the weather. The water was rushing like a wave towards my shop window. Fortunately, the window did not break because inside my business there were people who found shelter from the rain"