The country will remain in a snowy state over the next three days with maximum values above 40 degrees Celsius sustained through Monday. From the beginning of next week there will be a slight decrease in temperature, both at maximum and minimum values in most areas of the country and only locally, in the central and southern continental areas will it remain high.

However, as the director of the National Meteorological Service (EMY) Thodoris Kolydas stresses in a post, next week normal seasonal temperatures will return with minimum values of just over 20°C and maximum values of around 35°C.

“Back to better days in the middle of next week,” Kolydas stresses.

According to meteorologist Klearchos Marousakis, the prolonged heatwave that has been sweeping the country for several days is expected to subside by the middle of next week.

The heat wave is expected to subside from Tuesday, when “a new danger opens up, that of thermal instability, of thermal storms. In northern Greece especially in the afternoon we will have showers and thunderstorms.”

As Mr. Marousakis said in these cases the rain does not have time to reach the ground, it evaporates and as a result the lightning that falls with the rain is not allowed to cause a dangerous fire.

Update of the Special Weather Alert

Today (20-7-2024) temperatures are forecast to reach:
a. in the northern continents 37 to 39 degrees Celsius and in the rest of the continents 40 and locally in the west 41 degrees Celsius.
b. in the Ionian Islands, the East Aegean Islands and the Dodecanese islands 37 to 40 degrees Celsius.
c. in the rest of the island country 34 to 36 degrees Celsius.
d. 39 degrees Celsius in Attica and 38 degrees Celsius in the prefecture of Thessaloniki.

On Sunday (21-7-2024) and Monday (22-7-2024) the temperature is forecast to reach:
a. in the northern mainland 38 to 39 degrees Celsius, in the rest of the mainland 39 to 40 and possibly 41 degrees Celsius locally.
b. in the East Aegean islands and the Dodecanese 38 to 40 degrees Celsius.
c. in the rest of the island country 34 to 36 degrees Celsius.
d. 39 to 40 degrees Celsius in Attica and 38 degrees Celsius in the prefecture of Thessaloniki.

“Very strong” heat stress is generally expected in a large part of the country with maximum temperature at 42.1 °C.