A new wave of bad weather, named Storm Barbara, is moving toward Greece from the Gulf of Genoa, expected to affect much of the country from Sunday night through Tuesday.
The weather system will bring widespread rain, thunderstorms, hail, and gale-force winds, along with a temperature drop of up to 8°C by midweek.
According to meteorologists, the storm marks a typical autumn shift rather than an extreme event, though authorities warn of localized hazards due to strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Regions expecting the heaviest rainfall
The most intense rainfall is expected:
- Monday: in western Greece, Chania (Crete), Macedonia, Thrace, and the northern Aegean islands, with lighter showers possible in Athens during the morning.
- Tuesday: in Thrace, the northern and eastern Aegean islands, the northern Cyclades, and the Dodecanese. Brief showers may again affect Attica.
Strong winds and colder air sweep across the country
Winds will strengthen significantly, reaching up to 8 Beaufort (gale force) on Monday and Tuesday — northerly over the Ionian Sea and westerly across the southern Aegean.
Temperatures will fall sharply, dropping to single digits in northern regions overnight, while daytime highs will hover near 20°C.
Weather improvement expected from Wednesday
Conditions are expected to improve gradually from Wednesday, with clearer skies and temperatures returning to seasonal levels. No new weather systems are forecast for the following days.
Rain and Thunderstorms on Monday
On Monday, locally strong storms are expected early in the day in the west, from morning to midday across the Peloponnese, and from the afternoon in Thrace, the eastern Aegean, and Crete.
Temperatures will remain relatively low for the season in the west and north, ranging from 10–19°C in Western Macedonia, 11–20°C in the rest of Macedonia and Thrace, 13–25°C in Thessaly, 14–19°C in Epirus, 11–25°C in Central Greece and the Peloponnese, 17–22°C in the Ionian Islands, 12–25°C in the northern and eastern Aegean, 15–24°C in the Cyclades, 18–23°C in the Dodecanese, and 12–26°C in Crete.
Winds in the Aegean will initially blow from the south at 3–5 Beaufort, turning to northerlies at 4–6 Beaufort later in the north. In the Ionian Sea, winds will start from the southwest at 3–5 Beaufort before shifting from north to south at 4–6 Beaufort, reaching up to 7 Beaufort locally.
In Athens, skies will start mostly clear with clouds increasing through the day. Rain and possible thunderstorms are expected from midday onwards. Winds will shift from southerly to northwesterly directions at 2–4 Beaufort. Temperatures will range between 17 and 24°C.
In Thessaloniki, cloudy skies with periods of rain are expected until the afternoon, with a chance of locally strong storms early in the day. Winds will vary up to 3 Beaufort, turning north later at 3–5 Beaufort. Temperatures will range from 16 to 19°C.
