A snowy Christmas will give way to a sunny New Year’s Eve, according to weather forecasts. The weather in the coming days will be sunny and good temperatures in most parts of the country, leaving behind the bad weather of Elena that “dressed” even Parnitha in white and filled the ski resorts.
As the director of the National Meteorological Service (EMY), Thodoris Kolydas, says, New Year’s Day, as it seems, will be celebrated with sunglasses, as it may be an Alcyonide day.
“New Year’s Day will be an Alcyonid day” with temperatures reaching up to 17 degrees Celsius. He said Alcyonides are days where the temperature is above 14 degrees and the minimum is above 4 degrees.
In a post on Twitter, the director of EMY analyzed that alcyonid days are defined as “summer days” between December 16 and February 16, during which there is an anticyclone over the country, the minimum temperature does not drop below 4 degrees and the maximum exceeds 14 degrees Celsius.
“On these days, to call them Alcyonides, weather should “roll” with few clouds and the average wind speed should not exceed 6 knots, that is, the average wind speed should not exceed 2 Beaufort,” it says.
However, “the behavior of the Alkyonids is not the same across the country. We would have the occurrence of even more such days if it were not for the criterion of minimum temperature in particular. Thus, we may have Alcyonid days in some parts of the country and not in others. However, in the Attica basin the Alcyonides usually last longer and are more easily felt. This is because as the temperature rises in the heart of winter, an anticyclonic circulation is created over Attica, i.e. a high pressure field is created, which “traps” the warm masses of the atmosphere in the same place for more days.”
According to Kollydas, over the past 50 years more than 240 Alcyonid days have been recorded, of which 112 occurred in January, 74 in December and 54 in February. 58% of the Alcyonides were two consecutive days, while 30% were cases of three consecutive days. There were also four years with relative to long spacing where only one Alcyonid was recorded. There were also seven years , where no Alcyonid days occurred.
Temperatures in major cities on New Year’s Day
The year 2025 will enter with sunshine and temperatures reaching 16 degrees Celsius, according to George Tsatrafillias. Here are the New Year’s Day temperatures in seven major cities:
- Athens: 5-14 degrees Celsius
- Thessaloniki: 5-13 degrees Celsius
- Patra: 9-14 degrees Celsius
- Ioannina: 3-11 degrees Celsius
- Larisa: 4-12 degrees Celsius
- Florina: 2-9 degrees Celsius
- Heraklion: 10-16 degrees Celsius
Frost mainly in Northern Greece on Sunday morning 29/12
Low minimum temperatures were recorded on Sunday morning 29/12 mainly in areas of northern Greece, with the minimum temperature recorded at Seli in Imathia (-7.1°C). The table below lists the 8 lowest minimum temperatures, according to the network of automatic meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr.
Today’s weather
Initially rain is expected in Crete and the Dodecanese, but the weather will gradually improve. Sunshine will prevail in the rest of the country. During the night and early in the morning in the mainland there will be frost, while in the Ionian Sea and the mainland visibility will be limited.
The temperature will range in Western Macedonia from -8 to 7 degrees, in the rest of northern Greece from -4 to 9-10 degrees, in Thessaly and Northeastern Sterea from -3 to 10-11 degrees, in Epirus from -1 to 13-14 degrees, in the rest of the mainland from 0 to 12-14 degrees Celsius, in the Ionian Islands from 3 to 13-14 degrees Celsius, in the North Aegean islands from 3 to 11 degrees Celsius and in the rest of the Aegean islands and in Crete from 7 to 13-14 degrees Celsius.
In the Aegean Sea, winds will blow from the north with intensities of 4-5 Beaufort in the northern parts and 5-6 Beaufort in the southern parts. In the Ionian Sea there will be light winds of variable directions.
In Attica we expect a few clouds, mainly during the morning hours. The winds will blow north-northwest with intensities of 3-5 Beaufort. The temperature will range from 6 to 11-12 degrees, but in the north the minimum will be 2-3 degrees lower.
In Thessaloniki we expect sunny skies, quite cold and limited visibility at night and early morning. Winds will blow from the north northwest at 2-3 Beaufort. The temperature will range from 1 to 9 degrees Celsius.
The weather on Tuesday (New Year’s Eve) 31-12-2024
Generally clear weather, with local clouds in Crete in the morning hours. Visibility in the morning and evening hours will be locally limited.
In the early morning and early evening hours, the weather will be light and partly cloudy.
Winds will be variable 2 to 4 Beaufort and only in the Aegean Sea will blow north 5 to 6 Beaufort, weakening from the afternoon.
The temperature will rise slightly, but in the northern mainland in the morning hours there will be frost in places.It will reach 12 to 13 degrees Celsius in the north, 14 to 15 degrees Celsius in the eastern mainland and the Aegean and 16 to 17 degrees Celsius in the western part of the country.
The temperature will be between 15 and 15 degrees Celsius, with temperatures of up to 15 to 15 degrees Celsius and 15 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
The weather on New Year’s Day 01-01-2025
Generally clear weather. Visibility in the morning and evening hours will be locally limited.
In the morning and evening the weather will be light and partly cloudy.
Winds will be variable 2 to 4 and in the Aegean Sea will blow locally north, sometimes up to 5 Beaufort.
The temperature will rise slightly further mainly in the east. In the northwestern continental areas in the morning hours there will be frost in places.
The weather on Thursday 02-01-2025
Generally clear weather. Visibility in the morning and evening hours will be locally limited.
Winds will be variable 2 to 4 and in the Aegean Sea will blow locally southwest, occasionally up to 5 Beaufort.
The temperature will not change significantly. In the northwestern mainland in the morning hours there will be frost in some places.
The weather on Friday 03-01-2025
Generally clear weather. Visibility in the morning and evening hours will be locally limited.
Winds will blow from southern directions 3 to 4 and in the Aegean Sea locally up to 5 Beaufort.
The temperature will rise slightly. In the northwestern continental areas in the morning hours frost is expected again in some places.
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