Torrential rain floods Athens

A woman has died and dozens of drivers were trapped in their cars as torrential rain flooded Athens. It is thought to be the heaviest downpour in the Greek capital for half a century.

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One dead as torrential rain floods Greek capital

A woman died and dozens of commuters were trapped in their cars as torrential rain flooded Athens today, thought to be the heaviest downpour the Greek capital has seen for half a century.

More than one month's rainfall fell in just a couple of hours as powerlines faltered and darkened large parts of the city during the overnight cloudburst.

A river broke its banks and traffic jams brought much of Athens to a standstill in the morning rush hour.

Police said a 27-year-old woman died of a probable heart attack after being trapped in her car in the northern suburb of Halandri.

"This is the worst storm since 1961. We're talking about 52 years without ever having seen such a heavy downpour in this area," meteorologist Yannis Kallianos told state television.

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