'Medicane' Zorba: Greece lashed by torrential rain and 55mph winds from powerful storm in Mediterranean

Bad weather cancels ferries and delays flights

Waves hit the cliffs in front of the ancient Temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, in southern Athens during bad weather (ELEFTHERIOS ELIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A powerful Mediterranean storm has lashed southern Greece with torrential rain and winds up to 55mph.

Called Zorba it has been dubbed a medicane - a combination of the words Mediterranean and hurricane - although that is not a technical weather term.

It moved past the southwestern tip of the Peloponnese on Saturday and civil protection services remained on alert across most of the country, despite news the storm's intensity had weakened as it moved eastward.

Zorba was expected to bring heavy rainfall to greater Athens as it rolls towards islands in the Aegean Sea and Turkey's coast.

Most ferry services from mainland ports near Athens were cancelled and the bad weather caused limited flight delays.

Bad weather from a previous low-pressure front toppled trees, caused power outages in parts of Athens and disrupted suburban rail services on Friday, when schools in the Greek capital and several other parts of the country were also closed.

Several football matches in Turkey were cancelled.

The Athens area has recently been hit by deadly fires and flash floods.

In 2017, 24 people were killed and scores left homeless after a rain-swollen torrent inundated two coastal towns west of the capital.

Additional reporting by Associated Press