Greece braces for a hot and unstable week: 37°C highs, afternoon storms, then meltemia winds
Temperatures will rise to 37°C on Tuesday and Wednesday, with afternoon storms in the mainland, before strong northerly meltemia winds take over from Thursday.
The week’s heat: Tuesday and Wednesday hottest
Temperatures across Greece will climb sharply in the coming days, with Tuesday and Wednesday expected to be the warmest of the week. The mercury will reach 35°C on Tuesday and peak near 36 to 37°C on Wednesday, particularly over the mainland. Early in the week, a cold air mass moving in will trigger instability, keeping the heat intense even as showers develop.
We expect showers or even thunderstorms in the interior of the mainland despite the high temperature, near 36 degrees Celsius.
Rain and storms spread
On Tuesday, the Ionian islands and mainland regions will see scattered clouds thickening at times, with temporary rain or showers in the afternoon over the northern mainland. Isolated thunderstorms will break out in mountainous areas. By Wednesday, the instability will become more widespread: the interior of the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace and even central Sterea are forecast to experience rain and storms.
The likelihood of rain is mainly limited to June 17 and 18, without large accumulations. The overall picture remains clearly summery.
The shift to meltemia
From Thursday afternoon, the unstable wave will gradually retreat east and south, allowing strong north winds to dominate the Aegean. These meltemia will reach 7 to 8 Beaufort, raising the fire risk across the country. Friday will see the instability fade further, leaving dry, windy conditions and a return to seasonal norms.
- Hot with local afternoon rain and storms in northern mainland; temps up to 35°C.
- Peak heat (36‑37°C) and widespread instability; storms over much of the mainland.
- Instability shifts east/south; strong north winds (meltemia) begin in Aegean.
- Meltemia dominate with 7‑8 Beaufort; instability confined; fire risk elevated.
City outlooks
In Athens, the temperature will rise gradually, touching 34°C around June 23 after a brief mid‑week pause. Thessaloniki will experience sharper swings: a drop after the early-week heat, then a rebound to 33°C by June 23, with the highest rain chance on June 17. Heraklion will peak early at 31°C on Tuesday before easing into milder conditions.
