Despite being mid-summer, Greece was struck by an unusually intense and unseasonal weather system. Thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and gusty winds swept across the country—catching many off guard. Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning strikes, and strong thunderstorms caused widespread disruption, including flash floods and numerous fallen trees due to violent winds. Fire departments reported a surge in emergency calls.
Record Low Temperatures and Extreme Rainfall
In the high-altitude lake of Drakolimni in Grammos (Western Macedonia), temperatures dropped to 0°C—a rare occurrence for July. Meanwhile, the highest rainfall totals were recorded in Evia and Thessaly. According to METEO/National Observatory of Athens, Setta in Evia registered up to 148 millimetres of rain, while Skopia near Farsala recorded up to 52 mm.
Storms Hit Attica Too
In the afternoon yesterday, the weather disturbance moved over Attica, triggering powerful thunderstorms. Within just 30 minutes, 20–30 mm of rain fell both in the Athens basin and across wider Attica region.
Unusual Atmospheric Conditions
METEO/NOA emphasized that these storms were accompanied not only by hail but also by strong, short-lived downdraft winds—descending air currents from the base of thunderclouds—that caused damage in several areas. The agency described the event as an atypical, autumn-like atmospheric disturbance rather than a typical summer heat-driven storm.
Low minimum temperatures were observed this morning across parts of Western Macedonia and the Ioannina regional unit. In high-elevation zones—including Drakolimni Grammos, where METEO operates a meteorological station—the overnight low reached exactly 0°C.
Lightning Activity Across Greece
A METEO/NOA lightning map from yesterday shows more than 59,000 electrical discharges nationwide—based on satellite data from EUMETSAT’s Meteosat-12. Notably, over half of those discharges occurred over the sea—a rarity during summer months.
According to METEO/NOA’s analysis, the cause was exceptionally cold air masses in the upper troposphere—temperatures rarely seen this time of year. These frigid layers created strong atmospheric instability, enabling prolonged, widespread thunderstorm development—not just during the usual hot afternoon hours, but across much of the day.