About 22,000 lightning strikes were recorded in Crete and the southern part of the Aegean Sea in the last one day, dpa reports. Heavy rains and thunderstorms have caused widespread flooding and damage on the island, and authorities are assessing the effects of the bad weather. According to the Greek Meteorological Service, heavy rains should continue for a few more hours, after which the weather will begin to gradually improve. Agriculture has been seriously affected in Crete. large parts of the fields were destroyed. In many areas, roads were flooded, houses were damaged, and power outages were also reported. According to the authorities, up to 500 mm of rain fell in Rethymno region. The bad weather has especially strongly affected the central and eastern regions of the island. Earlier, rescuers had evacuated dozens of people from flooded houses and cars, and some roads had become completely or partially impassable. In the west of Crete, eight employees of the environmental services, who were in the Samaria gorge, were also cut off from the flooding. They informed the authorities that they are safe and have food supplies, so it was decided to postpone the evacuation until the rains stop and the water level decreases. Strong bad weather also affected the island of Rhodes. On Friday, a tourist from Germany was struck by lightning and died. Her husband received minor injuries. Meteorologists in Rhodes and Crete expect a gradual improvement in the weather, but authorities continue to monitor the situation due to the risk of further flooding.