Climate

Greece's climate is divided into three categories: dry Mediterranean, continental Mediterranean and alpine Mediterranean. The Pindus mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country by making the western side of it (areas prone to the south-westerlies) wetter than the areas lying to the east of it (lee side of the mountains).

Dry Mediterranean

This climate occurs in the Aegean Islands, especially the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, southern and parts of central Evia, low lying areas of Attica, the eastern and south Peloponnese and the low lying areas of Crete. During the summer, the weather is almost always sunny, dry and any precipitation -which is rare- falls in the form of showers or thunderstorms from cumuliform cloud. The air is usually hot during the day and pleasantly warm during the night. Heatwaves can occur, but they are usually quite mild at the coastal areas, where the Etesian winds blow throughout the summer. Winters are wet and any falling snow does not last too long, especially in the south facing slopes. Rain in winter is often persistent and can cause flash floods.

Continental Mediterranean

In areas having this climate, mainly Central and East Macedonia and Thrace, there is a more notable difference between temperatures in summer and winter. Winters are cold and often harsh with locally abundant snowfalls. Summers are hot, locally sometimes very hot, with somewhat frequent thunderstorms. Differences in precipitation between summer and winter are not very large, though most precipitation tends to fall in late autumn. Diurnal temperature ranges can be large (over 20°C), especially in interior plains and valleys. Frosts are common in winter and, in some areas, spring and autumn.

Alpine Mediterranean

The Alpine type is dominant mainly in the mountainous areas of Northwestern Greece (Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia as well as in the central parts of Peloponessus, including the prefectures of Achaea, Arcadia and parts of Laconia, where the Pindus range passes by). In this climate, the winter is harsh with abundant snowfalls, while the summers are cool with frequent thunderstorms. This climate is to be found on high mountains, like Pindus and Rhodope.

Climate by Location

Athens

In Athens (elevation 107 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January at 10°C (with a minimum of 6°C and a maximum of 13°C), and their highest in July/August, at 27°C (with a minimum of 23°C and a maximum of 33°C). Rainfall averages from 0.5 to 7 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from November to January (over 5 cm a month), with the least (1 cm or less) falling from June to September.

Corfu Town

In Corfu Town (elevation 25 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January at 10°C (with a minimum of 6°C and a maximum of 14°C), and their highest in July/August, at 25°C (with a minimum of 19°C and a maximum of 32°C). Rainfall averages from 0.2 to 26 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from October to January (over 19 cm a month), with the least (1 cm or less) falling from June to August.

Heraklion

In Heraklion, (elevation 29 m), on the island of Crete, average temperatures are at their lowest in January/February at 12°C (with a minimum of 9°C and a maximum of 16°C), and their highest in July/August, at 25°C (with a minimum of 22°C and a maximum of 29°C). Rainfall averages from 0 to 9 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from October to January (over 5 cm a month), with the least (none, or scant amounts) falling from June to August.

Lemnos Island

In Lemnos (elevation 2 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January at 9°C (with a minimum of 6°C and a maximum of 11°C), and their highest in July/August, at 25°C (with a minimum of 21°C and a maximum of 30°C). Rainfall averages from 1 to 9 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from October to Marcg (over 5 cm a month), with the least (1 cm or less) falling from June to August.

Naxos Island

In Naxos (elevation 3 m), average temperatures are at their lowest in January/February at 12°C (with a minimum of 10°C and a maximum of 15°C), and their highest in July/August, at 25°C (with a minimum of 23°C and a maximum of 27°C). Rainfall averages from 0 to 9 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from December to March (over 5 cm a month), with the least (1 cm or less) falling from April to September.

Thessaloniki

In Thessaloniki (elevation 2 m), in the Macedonia region, average temperatures are at their lowest in January at 5°C (with a minimum of 3°C and a maximum of 10°C), and their highest in July/August, at 27°C (with a minimum of 21°C and a maximum of 33°C). Rainfall averages from 1 to 5 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from October to December (5 cm a month), with the least (1.5 cm or less) falling in July and August.

Trikkala

In Trikkala (elevation 149 m), in northwestern Thessaly, average temperatures are at their lowest in January at 5°C (with a minimum of 1°C and a maximum of 7°C), and their highest in July/August, at 26°C (with a minimum of 19°C and a maximum of 35°C). Rainfall averages from 1 to 12 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling from October to May (over 5 cm a month), with the least (1.5 cm or less) falling in July and August.

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