The decision by Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) to discontinue its weekly weather forecast has sparked significant concern among experts and the public. Former EMY director Theodoros Kolydas has publicly voiced serious reservations about the direction the service appears to be taking.
A Broken Link and a Deeper Issue
In a recent social media post, Kolydas pointed out that EMY’s current daily forecast page now includes a link to multi-day forecast maps — a feature he says is non-functional. Yet he stresses that the core problem is not technical. Rather, it lies in how forecasts are now produced and delivered.
Shifting Away from Expert Judgment
Kolydas warns of a gradual retreat from scientific meteorological analysis and human interpretation. Instead, he observes an increasing reliance on raw outputs from numerical weather prediction models — essentially automated forecasts without expert review. He emphasizes that a national meteorological service’s role extends far beyond repackaging model data: it includes rigorous scientific evaluation, cross-comparison of different models, verification of predictions, assessment of local atmospheric conditions, and final human judgment.
Real-World Impacts
These functions matter deeply for citizens and professionals alike — from daily commuters and ferry operators to farmers and emergency planners preparing for extreme weather. Ending the weekly forecast deprives the public of advance visibility into weather trends, while also removing a key tool for journalists who report on weather-related developments.
Those requiring early planning — including agricultural workers, tourism professionals, shipping companies, and outdoor event organizers — may now turn to private or foreign weather services. Meanwhile, the general public is likely to rely more heavily on commercial apps and websites that display unfiltered model outputs, often lacking the context and expertise of trained meteorologists.
Silence from Authorities
In a follow-up post, Kolydas noted that, to date, neither EMY nor other meteorologists have issued any official public statement addressing the discontinuation of the seven-day forecast. No scientific or trade union body has released an official position specifically on this change.