Greece Weather and Climate

greece weather

Greece weather varies from the dry climate of Attiki (Athens’ greater area) and East Greece in general, to the wet climate of Northern and Western Greece.

Greece climate is typical of the Mediterranean climate: mild and rainy winters, relatively warm and dry summers and, generally, extended periods of sunshine throughout most of the year.

A great variety of climate subtypes, always within the Mediterranean climate frame, are encountered in several regions of Greece.

The main Greece climate regions are the mainland mountains, Attica (the southeasternmost part of the mainland) and the Aegean, the west including the Ionian Islands, and the continental northeast.

The variety in Greece weather is due to the influence of the topography of Greece (great mountain chains along the central part and other mountainous bodies) on the air masses coming from the moisture sources of the central Mediterranean Sea.

Elevation has an appreciable effect on temperature and precipitation at all latitudes. At higher elevations in the interior of Greece, some rainfall occurs year-round, and higher mountains in the southern Peloponnese and on Crete are snowcapped for several months of the year. The mountains of Macedonia and Thrace have colder continental winters influenced by winds channeled through the river valleys from the north.

Temperatures in Greece

AthensCorfuHeraklionRhodesSantoriniThessaloniki
JAN10,39,712,111,811,25,0
FEB10,710,312,312,011,26,6
MAR12,412,013,613,612,69,7
APR16,015,016,616,615,514,2
ΜΑY20,719,620,320,619,119,4
JUN25,123,824,324,723,324,2
JUL27,926,426,126,925,426,5
AUG27,726,226,027,024,825,9
SEP24,222,723,424,622,521,7
OCT19,418,420,020,619,016,1
NOV15,514,316,716,515,411,0
DEC12,211,213,913,412,76,8

Links: Temperature Convenrter  |   Summer in Greece

Greece Weather Seasons

From the weather point of view, the year in Greece can be broadly subdivided into two main periods:

  • The cold and rainy period lasting from mid-October until the end of March

During this period the coldest months are January and February, with, a minimum temperature ranging, on average, between 5 -10 degrees Celsius near the coasts of Greece and 0 – 5 Celsius over the mainland of Greece. The lower temperatures (generally below freezing) are observed in the northern part of the country.

Long stretches of consecutive rainy days are infrequent in Greece, even during the winter, and the sky does not remain cloudy for more than a few days in a row, as it does in other regions of the world. “Bad weather” days in winter are often interrupted, during January and the first fortnight of February, with sunny days, known as ‘Halcyon days’ since ancient times. The winter is milder in the Aegean and Ionian Islands compared to Northern and Eastern mainland Greece.

  • The warm and dry season lasting from April until September

During the warm and dry period Greece weather is usually stable, the sky is clear, the sun is bright and there is generally no rainfall. There are, however, infrequent and brief intervals of rapid rain or thunderstorms chiefly in northern and western Greece.

The period with the warmest weather in Greece occurs during the last ten days of July and the first ten days of August, when the mean maximum temperature lies between 29.0 and 35.0 degrees Celsius. During the warm period the high temperatures are tempered by fresh sea breezes in the coastal areas of the country and from the north winds, known as “Etesian” or “Meltemi”, blowing mainly in the south Aegean sea.

Greece Weather forecast

Weather in Greece – Forecast

There are many sites on Internet offering a weather forecast for Greece.

This Greece weather forecast comes from the National Center of Marine Research and it uses easy-to-understand graphics to display information about the Surface Wind, Rainfall, Snowfall, Cloudiness, Air temperature, Fog and Atmospheric Pressure.

Weather Forecast for Athens, Greece

Other sites with Greece Weather forecasts

Related pages:

Greek Islands Weather:

Greece Index