Holidaymakers heading to Crete have been hit by travel chaos after a huge Saharan dust cloud swept across the island, turning the sky an eerie red-orange and cutting visibility.
Flights from the UK were among those disrupted as conditions worsened at Heraklion Airport. A British Airways service from London was rerouted to Corfu, while a SKY Express flight from Brussels was sent to Athens after visibility dropped to around 1,000 metres, a level considered unsafe for landing.
Air travel across the island remains under pressure as the dense dust cloud continues to hang over Crete, causing delays and operational disruption.
On the ground, the wild weather has triggered dramatic scenes. A powerful tornado flipped a truck in the coastal area of Pachia Ammos as it prepared to load agricultural exports. Trees have been uprooted, greenhouses damaged and part of a wall at a ceramics factory has collapsed.
Coastal areas have also been battered, with huge waves crashing into the first homes along the old town in Ierapetra as strong southerly winds whipped up dangerous conditions.
Across Heraklion, the port has been almost completely obscured by a thick layer of dust, leaving the landscape resembling the Sahara. The air has turned suffocating, with extremely high concentrations of dust particles making conditions hazardous, particularly for vulnerable residents.
In Chania, light rain has mixed with the dust to leave a layer of mud coating homes, cars and streets, while visibility has dropped sharply across the city.
Air quality readings have plunged into the 'very poor' category, with particle pollution far exceeding safe limits, according to regional monitoring stations.
Meteorologists say dust levels have surged to more than 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre, an exceptionally high concentration, with conditions expected to ease slightly later in the day.
However, forecasters have warned that another wave of Saharan dust could hit the island as early as Thursday.
Authorities have urged residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel, remain indoors where possible and take care on the roads as the extreme weather continues to grip the island.
