At least seven people died and more than 100 were injured after intense thunderstorms hit northern Greece, tearing out tall pine trees and destroying houses in their passing, officials said on Thursday.

The area affected, Halkidiki, is a peninsula with sandy beaches that is popular with tourists. Thessaloniki, the second-biggest city in Greece, is just to the north.

Kostas Pahinis, fire brigade commander for Central Macedonia, the region that includes Halkidiki, said by phone on Thursday that the storms had been so severe that a kind of tornado had developed.