Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) has issued an emergency bulletin warning of a marked deterioration in weather conditions on Monday, 26 Jan., as a new spell of severe weather moves across the country.

An orange-level alert has been activated for heavy rain and thunderstorms, locally accompanied by gale-force winds. Strong southerly winds are already affecting the Ionian Sea today and are expected to intensify over the Aegean on Monday.

According to EMY, intense rainfall and storms are forecast:

• in western Greece until midday,
• in eastern Macedonia from early morning, extending to central Macedonia by late morning and temporarily affecting Thrace,
• across the eastern Aegean islands and the Dodecanese from the early afternoon,
• in Crete—mainly its western and southern regions—from late morning,
• and in Attica from the morning hours until around noon.

Meteorologists warn that three successive weather systems will impact the country, bringing prolonged and frequent rainfall with little respite. Southeasterly winds are expected to keep temperatures above seasonal averages, despite a gradual cooling in some regions. On Monday, the most severe conditions are likely in western and northern Greece as well as the eastern Aegean, where the risk of locally intense downpours is elevated.

Gale-force winds will be a key feature of this system. After initially affecting the eastern Aegean, the disturbance will shift toward the Ionian Sea, where winds may reach up to 7 Beaufort, particularly around Corfu and nearby islands. From Monday onwards, strong winds are expected nationwide, potentially disrupting ferry services.

A broader deterioration is anticipated from Sunday evening, with strengthening winds and increasing rainfall. On Monday, severe weather is forecast for Kavala, Xanthi, Drama and Thasos. Attica will also see rain and thunderstorms until midday, accompanied by strong winds and a noticeable drop in temperature. Particularly intense conditions are expected in southern Crete and the southwest of the country, where temperatures will fall compared with recent days.