Temperatures near or above the highest recorded in at least the last 20 years in most areas of the country for the month of March were recorded today.

Significantly, in Gazi, the thermometer exceeded the record high of 25 degrees set on March 31, 2009, reaching 25.3 degrees. Similarly in Crete, the temperature in many areas exceeded 30 and even 32 degrees.

As pointed out, speaking to protothema.gr, the director of research of the Athens Observatory, Kostas Lagovardos, these are temperatures that reach or exceed the record for the month of March.

In fact, as the last three days of the month are expected to have temperatures above normal for the season, the average temperature of the month is expected to rise even more.

“From July onwards, months are being recorded that have more heat than the average normal,” he says, noting that with the exception of areas in northern Greece where the thermometer today did not exceed the average normal for the season, the rest of the regions were out of the norm.

Both today and tomorrow conditions favour the transport of dust from Africa, so the atmosphere will remain muggy, and after a slight drop in temperature over the weekend, the data so far suggests that early next week will see a new warm invasion with a new rise in temperature.

As for the highest temperatures, according to meteo, the mercury reached its highest point in Alikianos, Chania, which showed 32.6 degrees, while in the centre of Chania it showed 32.5 degrees.

On Wednesday, African dust was evident with the atmosphere being suffocating.

The meteo maps below show the expected dust concentrations near the surface at 02:00 on Thursday.