Greece Braces for 36-Degree Heat as Storms Threaten Northern Mountains
Greece is bracing for a brief heatwave Monday, with mainland temperatures climbing to 36 degrees Celsius even as meteorologists warn of sudden, isolated thunderstorms across the country's northern and western mountainous regions.
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service said the day will bring generally clear skies, though sharp localized shifts are expected by afternoon.
Temporary cloud formations will move across Macedonia, Epirus and western Sterea Ellada, triggering regional showers and brief mountain storms.
Conditions are expected to settle by nightfall, though central Macedonia faces a secondary wave of late-night rain.
The mainland interior will bear the brunt of the heat, with temperatures peaking between 33 and 35 degrees and locally reaching 36 degrees in the east and west.
Coastal areas and the southern islands will remain noticeably cooler, averaging between 29 and 32 degrees. Strong northerly winds will persist across the Aegean, gusting between 5 and 7 on the Beaufort scale, with similar conditions expected over Attica.
The unsettled pattern is forecast to continue into midweek.
Tuesday will maintain the heat while bringing expanded morning showers to central Macedonia and scattered afternoon storms across the western and northern highlands.
A modest temperature drop is expected across western Greece by Wednesday, though the risk of localized alpine thunderstorms will persist.
Authorities have advised residents and travelers in affected mountainous areas to remain alert for sudden weather shifts, as Greece continues to navigate an increasingly volatile early-summer pattern combining sharp heat spikes with isolated severe storms.