Μake us preferred on Google A heatwave that has sent temperatures soaring across much of Greece over the past week is expected to ease from Friday, August 28, bringing some relief from the intense summer heat.
Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in Athens on Wednesday, and remained high across the mainland with slightly lower temperatures recorded in the mountains.
The heat is expected to continue into Thursday, August 27, set to reach 39 degrees Celsius in Athens, accompanied by high humidity.
According to the National Meteorological Service, showers and isolated thunderstorms have been forecast in eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with similar conditions likely in parts of mainland Greece during the afternoon.
Winds will generally blow from northern directions at 4 to 6 Beaufort, reaching locally 7 Beaufort over the seas.
Cooler conditions from Friday
Thursday will be a warm day in Attica, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius and northeasterly to easterly winds of 3 to 5 Beaufort.
Meteorologists are expecting stronger northerly winds in the coming days and over the weekend, which are set to bring cooler conditions, particularly to urban areas. Temperatures are forecast to fall to around 31-32 degrees Celsius in Athens on Friday, marking a noticeable break from the extreme heat of recent days.
Cooler conditions are also expected across eastern Greece, with temperatures in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, and eastern Central Greece reaching around 37 degrees Celsius.
Night-time temperatures will also fall. Minimum temperatures, which have remained around 28-29 degrees Celsius, are expected to drop to approximately 22-23 degrees Celsius by Saturday, August 29.
Fire risk remains high
Despite the expected drop in temperatures, the risk of wildfires remains a major concern. Civil Protection has issued a very high fire-risk warning (Code Yellow) for areas that have already been affected by fires this summer, including Attica, parts of Evia, Crete, the Cyclades, the eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese.
The heat will also remain more persistent in western Greece and parts of the Peloponnese, where temperatures are expected to stay high for the season, reaching 38-39 degrees Celsius in some areas.
Meteorologists expect temperatures to rise again from next week.
