Heatwave set to peak over the weekend – Temperatures may climb to 41°C

The hot spell, potentially the most intense of this summer, will peak over the weekend, with temperatures reaching as high as 41°C.

Today, according to meteorologist Anastasia Tyraski, generally clear weather is expected across the country. Limited instability will develop only over mountainous areas of the mainland, mainly the Pindus range, the mountains of central Central Greece and the Peloponnese.

Clouds will develop in these areas, with a chance of local showers, while an isolated thunderstorm may also occur in the northwest. Overall, the phenomena will be limited.

Winds in the Aegean will blow from northerly directions at up to 5 Beaufort, temporarily reaching 6 Beaufort in open waters off Lesvos and Chios. In the Ionian Sea, winds will initially be light before turning westerly-northwesterly from midday, reaching up to 5 Beaufort.

Temperatures will rise, reaching 38-39°C locally in low-lying inland areas away from the coast, mainly in western Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly and central Macedonia.

Attica and Thessaloniki

Sunny conditions are expected in Attica. Winds will be variable, while a light sea breeze will prevail around midday and in the afternoon. Temperatures will reach 37°C.

Thessaloniki will also see sunny weather, with a sea breeze developing in the afternoon and winds reaching up to 3 Beaufort. The maximum temperature will be 35°C.

Weekend temperatures to reach 40°C

Saturday is expected to be particularly hot. Westerly-northwesterly winds will strengthen, locally reaching 6 Beaufort, mainly in the Corinthian Gulf, south of the Peloponnese and around Crete.

Combined with the warm air masses, these winds will act as downslope winds, significantly driving up temperatures across the eastern mainland.

The areas set to “sizzle”

The highest temperatures are expected in Thessaly, eastern Central Greece, the eastern Peloponnese and central Macedonia. Temperatures will generally reach 38-40°C, while in a few locations they may touch or slightly exceed 40°C, climbing to 41°C.

At the same time, Saturday will see greater atmospheric instability than today, with local showers mainly over mountainous areas.

Similar conditions are expected on Sunday, with very high temperatures and the mercury reaching 40°C across the eastern mainland and slightly higher locally.

Winds will blow from northerly-northwesterly directions at up to 5-6 Beaufort, while instability will become more pronounced, with a chance of scattered thunderstorms over mountainous mainland areas during the midday and afternoon hours.

When will the hot spell begin to ease?

A weather disturbance is expected to move through on Monday, significantly increasing atmospheric instability. Local showers and thunderstorms are forecast across a wider range of mainland areas, rather than being confined to the mountains.

Temperatures will remain high but are not expected to reach the levels seen over the weekend. They will generally range around 38-39°C, while central and southern areas could see temperatures reach 40°C.

From Tuesday onwards, temperatures are expected to gradually decline. However, the exact development will depend on the intensity of Monday’s disturbance and the strengthening of northerly winds.

One scenario sees the meltemi winds strengthening considerably to 6 and possibly 7 Beaufort, resulting in a noticeable drop in temperatures. The second scenario points to a weaker disturbance and a more limited strengthening of the winds, which would keep temperatures close to 39°C in several areas.

In any case, temperatures will remain particularly high through Monday, with the weekend marking the peak of the hot spell.

WATCH THE HOT SPELL DEVELOP LIVE

According to an analysis by meteorologist Thodoris Kolydas, however, the heat is expected to persist, although the latest data are “softening” the hotter scenario through the end of the month.

“The most likely scenario is a prolonged period of fairly high temperatures, peaking around August 23-26 and then gradually easing,” he said.

According to the meteorologist, the data point to a 10-day maximum temperature of 37.2°C. In other words, as he explains, “even during the hottest part of the episode, the ensemble forecast for Athens does not currently support extreme temperatures in the 40°C+ range. This lends more support to describing the situation as ‘prolonged heat’ rather than a ‘severe heatwave’.”

“The heat is here to stay for some time, but the outlook towards the end of August now points more towards a gradual easing rather than a further escalation,” he stressed.

Historic August heatwaves

Very high temperatures during the final third of August are not unprecedented in Greece.

The most striking historical example was the heatwave of August 20-26, 1958. Temperatures of 47.2°C were recorded in Trikala and 45°C in Larissa, while the following day Athens reached 43.6°C.

Significant hot spells were also recorded on August 19-22, 2006, when temperatures reached 44°C in Argos, and on August 24-26, 2007, when the mercury climbed to 42.4°C in Argos and 42.2°C in Pyrgos.

The difference with the current situation is that forecasts do not, for now, point to similarly extreme peaks. The main feature of this hot spell is expected to be the persistence of high temperatures over several days.