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Maintenance work on the GGI forums is *almost* complete, just got something to fix (which is a persistent little b*gg*r), should be back online soon(-ish).

Kef weather 24/11 - 03/12

Monday: Mostly cloudy early then periods of showers this afternoon. High 17°C. Winds S at 3 bft to 4 bft. Chance of rain 70%.

Night: Light rain this evening with thunderstorms by morning. Low 11°C. Winds S at 2 bft to 3 bft.

Tuesday: Thunderstorms in the morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. High 21°C. Winds SSW at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 90%.

Night: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 12°C. Winds SW at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 60%.

Wednesday: Showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Thursday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 24°C and lows near 13°C.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, chance of showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 13°C.

Saturday: Showers possible. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Sunday: Scattered showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Monday: Some sun with a few showers possible. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Wednesday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Kef weather 23/11 - 02/12

Sunday: Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 12°C. Winds N at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 50%.

Night: Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low 5°C. Winds NNE at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 50%.

Monday: Partly cloudy early followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers later in the day. High 16°C. Winds SSE at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 40%.

Night: Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 11°C. Winds SSW at 2 bft to 3 bft. Chance of rain 60%.

Tuesday: Scattered thunderstorms possible. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Wednesday: Chance of showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Thursday: A few clouds. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Friday: Scattered showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Saturday: Showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Sunday: Chance of showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, chance of showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Storm hits Kefalonia

Kefalonia's been badly battered today by driving rain and strong winds, causing disruptions to the power supply. From what I've heard, several trees have been brought down locally. Photo from Jo, Poros:

Somali pirates release Greek ship

Somali pirates today released a Greek-owned chemical tanker and its crew they hijacked in September.

"The pirates released the ship today and it is now sailing to freedom," said Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East African Seafarers Association.

The Liberia-flagged MV Genius was seized in the treacherous Gulf of Aden waters on September 25 with 19 Romanian crew members while on its way to the Middle East from Europe.

Mwangura said it was unclear whether ransom was paid, but pirates often free freighters after a huge payout.

Over the weekend, Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi Arabian super-tanker Sirius Star that was carrying 100-million-dollar worth of oil and are now demanding USD 25 million in ransom.

Pirates are well organised in the area where Somalia's northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal through which an estimated 30 per cent of the world's oil transits.

They operate high-powered speedboats and are heavily armed, sometimes holding ships for weeks until they are released for large ransoms paid by governments or owners.
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=636548

Kef weather 22/11 - 01/12

Saturday: Windy with rain this morning...thunderstorms likely by evening. High 18°C. Winds W at 6 bft to 7 bft. Chance of rain 90%.

Night: A steady light rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Low 8°C. Winds WNW at 3 bft to 4 bft. Chance of rain 80%.

Sunday: Showers early becoming less numerous later in the day. High 14°C. Winds NW at 3 bft to 5 bft. Chance of rain 60%.

Night: A few clouds. Low near 4°C. Winds NNW at 2 to 3 bft.

Monday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs near 17°C and lows near 6°C.

Tuesday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs near 24°C and lows near 13°C.

Wednesday: Showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Thursday: Showers possible. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Friday: Showers. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Saturday: Chance of showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Sunday: Chance of showers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs near 17°C and lows near 13°C.

Aerial firefighters meet in Greece

The first ever Aerial Firefighting (AFF) Conference was held October 21 and 22 at Athens, Greece. Delegates from firefighting agencies, research institutions, wildfire chemical companies, and aircraft manufacturers gathered at the Olympic Hotel. More than 24 presentations were offered during the two-day conference.

In Greece, for example, a large population has moved from rural communities to urban centers leaving behind land that was traditionally agricultural and forested. When the agricultural lands and forests are left untended the potential for wildfires throughout the country becomes high.

Last year 67 persons perished in wildfires throughout Greece. Many wildfires were intentionally set in order to destroy forests so that landowners could then build on their property. Organizers of the conference presented the AFF conference in Athens because of the wildfire threat that Greek firefighting agencies deal with every year.

Although representatives of the Greek government were invited to the conference they did not attend despite repeat calls to government officials by conference organizers. Several days before the start of the conference the Greek military, citing security concerns, announced that there would be no demonstrations of firefighting aircraft, fixed wing or helicopters, at a nearby military airfield.

The AFF conference was an excellent opportunity for wildfire experts, firefighting aircraft manufacturers, pilots and fire agency administrators from Australia, Canada, the United States, Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Poland and Belgium to meet and share information on recent developments in aerial firefighting.
http://www.topangamessenger.com/articles.asp?SectionID=3&ArticleID=3350

GoingGreek.info forum maintenance

We're currently doing some maintenance on the forums, hopefully it won't take long, we'll be back a.s.a.p. In the meantime I'll be posting news and info here.

Kef weather 21/11 - 30/11

Friday: Sun and clouds mixed. High 19°C. Winds W at 3 bft to 5 bft.

Night: Windy with a few showers possible. Low near 13°C. Winds WSW at 5 - 6 bft. Chance of rain 50%.

Saturday: Windy with periods of rain. A few rumbles of thunder possible late. High 18°C. Winds W at 6 bft to 7 bft. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around 1.25 cm.

Night: Occasional rain. Low 8°C. Winds WNW at 3 bft to 5 bft. Chance of rain 70%.

Sunday: Light rain. Highs near 19°C and lows near 6°C.

Monday: Cloudy with late day rain. Highs near 17°C and lows near 6°C.

Tuesday: Thundershowers. Highs near 21°C and lows near 12°C.

Wednesday: Showers, maybe a rumble of thunder. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Highs near 24°C and lows near 12°C.

Friday: Periods of heavy rain. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Saturday: Some sun with a few showers possible. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

Sunday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs near 21°C and lows near 13°C.

GoingGreek.info back online

GGi is now back online with news, views & pix from Kefalonia / Greece: www.GoingGreek.info

Kef weather 04/10 - 3/10

Saturday: Sunshine this morning followed by increasing clouds and a few showers this afternoon. High 25°C. Winds SSW at 3 bft to 4 bft. Chance of rain 30%.

Saturday Night: Periods of rain with a few scattered thunderstorms possible. Low 14°C. Winds WSW at 3 bft to 5 bft. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half 1.25 cm.

Sunday: Windy. A few showers early with ample sunshine later in the day. High around 21°C. Winds NW at 5 bft to 6 bft. Chance of rain 30%.

Sunday Night: Clear skies. Low 12°C. Winds NW at 3 bft to 5 bft.

Monday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 23°C and lows near 16°C.

Tuesday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 23°C and lows near 16°C.

Wednesday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 27°C and lows near 16°C.

Thursday: Sunny with a few clouds. Highs near 23°C and lows near 16°C.

Friday: Rain, heavy at times. Highs near 23°C and lows near 16°C.

Saturday: Sunny, showers possible. Highs near 27°C and lows near 16°C.

Sunday: Areas of morning mist, then some sun. Highs near 27°C and lows near 19°C.

Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs near 30°C and lows near 19°C.