A strong heatwave continues across Greece, with temperatures reaching 37–39°C on Monday, 24 August. Though high temperatures have persisted since last Friday, a strengthening of the Meltemi winds over the Aegean is expected to bring a modest but noticeable dip in heat by the end of the week.
Gradual Cooling, Not a Seasonal Shift
Dr. Theodoros Kolydas, Director of Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY), emphasized in a recent post on X that the intense heat observed earlier this week is unlikely to continue unabated at the same intensity. “The key takeaway is that the extreme heat of the first few days does not appear to persist uninterrupted,” he wrote. According to Kolydas, a “notable temperature drop” is forecast for Friday and Saturday, 28–29 August — yet this cooling phase does not signal a definitive shift in weather patterns. Instead, temperatures are expected to rebound across several regions shortly thereafter.
City-by-City Outlook
Athens: The most pronounced relief will begin Wednesday, 26 August, becoming significantly more noticeable by Friday. Maximums — hovering near 37–38°C on 24–25 August — are projected to ease to around 31–32°C by 28 August, according to ECMWF ensemble models. Overnight lows will also fall sharply, dropping from about 28–29°C to roughly 22–23°C by 29 August — offering meaningful nighttime respite. While highs are expected to climb again toward 33–34°C by month’s end and into early September, this temporary easing avoids any premature transition to autumn-like conditions.
Larissa: High temperatures will persist through Thursday, 27 August, with daily maxima generally between 34°C and 37°C. A brief cooldown follows, but a new rise in heat is expected starting 30 August.
Thessaloniki: Temperatures are forecast to decline between 28 and 29 August, settling near 30°C — a marked reduction from recent levels.
Patras: The highest reading of the 10-day period is expected to reach 38.2°C — among the highest nationwide.
Notably, no rainfall is anticipated anywhere in the country during this period. Kolydas stressed that these forecasts draw from comprehensive ensemble modeling — evaluating multiple scenarios rather than relying on a single prediction — allowing meteorologists to assess both the most likely outcome and the range of uncertainty. At this stage, the short-term easing of heat emerges as a consistent trend across models.