Skiathos floods: Stranded tourists tell of 'biblical rain' from Storm Daniel

• Video report by Michael Billingon

Holidaymakers trapped on the flood-ravaged Greek island of Skiathos say some people were left with just the clothes they were wearing when hotels were evacuated because of the freak weather.

Some parts of Greece have seen a year's worth of rain in just a day - channelling thigh-high torrents through streets and sweeping cars away - as the country faced more extreme weather following a summer of wildfires.

Flights have been cancelled, leaving many Brits stranded.

Joanne and Allan Varnham, from Birchencliffe in Huddersfield, arrived on Skiathos on 23 August to celebrate Allan's birthday.

A week later their resort was hit by torrential rain from Storm Daniel.

The couple could only watch from their first-floor hotel room in Troulos as flood waters rose rapidly to a backdrop of thunder and lightning.

The couple posted videos on social media that had friends and family in England urgently inquiring if they were safe and sound.

"It started raining on Sunday," said Allan. "By midnight on Monday we had thunderstorms. It sounded like heavy artillery - so loud it made you jump."

Joanne said: "I was awake all through the night. I couldn't sleep. The lightning looked like fireworks.

"We went out at 6am and the ground was still okay. But at 7.45am we heard a commotion outside and hotel staff were walking through the water and evacuating people on the ground floor.

"In the space of just over an hour the water had risen so much. It didn't take long to go from being okay to not being okay."

Joanne and Allan watched as people were led out of their hotel rooms wearing just their pyjamas.

Joanne said: "They looked distraught. We're on the first floor. People on the ground floor have just lost everything. They were evacuated and taken somewhere safe. Later, when they brought them back to see what they could recover from their rooms, they were still in their pyjamas."

Searching through her luggage, Joanne handed over what she could – spare underwear and flip flops.

Meanwhile hotel staff washed and dried any laundry that could be salvaged.

"They were just amazing," said Joanne, who said staff had also delivered hot food to guests' rooms - having waded through floodwater to do so.

"I can't praise them enough. They have been wonderful. And they wouldn't take any money for it."

Sarah Bevitt and her husband, from Harrogate, reported "lovely weather" in Kolios, also on Skiathos, until Sunday.

She said: "Then the heavens opened, and it was chaos. It was like nothing I've ever seen - biblical rain. Like a typhoon.

"From what we hear Skiathos town has been devastated. There's cars in the water, debris everywhere. The roads were just rivers, absolutely and utterly gushing water. There's still no transport running and we understand the airport is still closed.

"Some people have been left with absolutely nothing. They've had no power, no water, nothing."

Power cuts mean cash and card machines are not working, so any purchases have to be made using cash "and you can't get any".

Their small hotel on the outskirts of Skiathos town was placed under curfew with guests told not to leave their buildings.

And, with the airport shut, guests are monitoring texts and emails from airline Jet2 to learn when they might be able to fly home.

Sarah said: "We were supposed to fly today. That's cancelled. At the moment we’ve been told to stay where we are. We assume that’s because no flights are coming in so there’s nobody else arriving to take our rooms.

"So we’re stuck here at the moment. We’re safe, and that’s the main thing. We’re not in any danger. A bit of Dunkirk spirit: we’re all just trying to keep going."

Jet2 has cancelled five flights to Skiathos.

In a statement it said it was "closely monitoring the situation with our customers’ best interests in mind".The company said: "We are contacting all affected customers and they will of course receive a full refund."We are continuing to closely monitor the situation on the island and have been in touch with customers in resort by SMS to advise them of the situation, and to ask them to follow the advice of the local authorities as well as their hoteliers.

"In addition, our in-resort teams are working tirelessly to look after customers despite infrastructure challenges caused by the weather. We will ensure that we fly all of our customers home once conditions allow."We recognise that this is an extremely difficult and unpleasant experience for our customers, and we of course are extremely sorry to hear this.

"Although extraordinary events such as these are completely outside of our control, our absolute focus is on doing everything we can to look after everyone."

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