Greece is experiencing dramatic weather swings, with weekend temperatures soaring to a record March high, only to be followed by an expected spell of snow and frost, meteorologists reported on Sunday.
The temperature soared to 33.7 degrees Celsius (92.66 Fahrenheit) on Sunday in Lasithi, in Crete — the highest-ever recorded for March, according to the Athens National Observatory.
On Saturday the highest temperature was recorded in central Greece, in the town of Livadia, of 31.4 degrees Celsius.
Across the country, other weather stations registered temperatures more typical of balmy May than the closing days of winter.
“The very high maximum temperatures recorded during the last four days (from Wednesday to Saturday) in the country, were record highs for the month of March in many areas,” Meteo.gr said on Saturday.
At the same time clouds of sand from the Sahara blanketed many parts of the country. “To have such temperatures so early in March, this has never happened before,” meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos told ERT television.
Meteorologists say that cold northerly winds will be sweeping into Greece this week, chasing away the dust and sending temperatures plummeting by as much as 20 degrees Celsius.
The National Weather Service, EMY, forecasts a drop of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius on Monday and an additional 7 to 9 degrees on Tuesday, with an even chillier Wednesday coming after that. The week will also start with overcast skies in western and northern parts of the country, where light showers are expected. By midday, rainfall will intensify in northern areas, accompanied by isolated thunderstorms.
“A cold air mass on Tuesday will give showers and snow all over the country,” Giannopoulos said. “In Athens, where today we have 27 degrees the maximum temperature will be 11 degrees. This is a rollercoaster,” he added.
The abrupt change is particularly problematic for the agricultural sector.
In Greece’s region of northern Macedonia — which saw temperatures of 27C over the weekend — the expected frost is set to cause severe damage to fruit trees that are in full bloom.
Greece has become a climate change hotspot. It had its hottest summer and warmest winter on record in 2024, according to data from the Meteo.gr network.
Specifically, the 2023-2024 winter, lasting from December 2023 to February 2024, in Greece was marked by extended periods of high temperatures, significantly surpassing seasonal norms.
Meteo reported that the winter of 2023-2024 was recorded as the warmest in Greek history, surpassing the winter of 2015-2016. The average maximum temperature in Greece during the winter period has risen by 1.8°C from 1960 to 2024.
The year brought unprecedented temperatures, extreme rainfall and a notable frequency of impactful weather events.
Thirty-one significant weather incidents disrupted daily life in 2023, well above the 2000-2024 average, while nine weather-related deaths were registered.
Related: Scientists Again Raise Alarm Bells on Climate Change in Greece
