Climate of Greece

Satellite image showing the locations of some of the 2009 Greek forest fires.

The climate in Greece is predominantly Mediterranean. However, due to the country's unique geography, Greece has a remarkable range of micro-climates and local variations. To the west of the Pindus mountain range, the climate is generally wetter and has some maritime features. The east of the Pindus mountain range is generally drier and windier in summer. The highest peak is Mount Olympus at 9,570 feet (2,916.9 m) tall. The north areas of Greece have a transitional climate between the continental and the mediterranean climate.There are mountainous areas that have an alpine climate.

Categories

The climate of Greece can be divided into the following Mediterranean climate subtypes: wet

Alpine Mediterranean

In this climate, the winter is harsh with an abundance of snowfalls, while the summers are cool with frequent thunderstorms. This climate is to be found on high mountains, like Pindus and Rhodope. Few meteorological stations are in areas with a truly Alpine Mediterranean climate in Greece and these are not available online.A city which is well known to the Greek people because of the ski center that it has is Karpenisi,^[1] which is built on mountains and it has an alpine mediterranean climate.

Transitional-Continental- Mediterranean

This climate has characteristics of continental and Mediterranean climate. The winters are colder and wetter with cloudy or rainy days, and snow occurs 3-5 times in winter and once in March, but it doesn't last for a lot of days. Heatwaves may occur in the summer, but generally the summer isn't warmer than the areas in south Greece. In this climate, there are lot of thunderstorms and showers in summer, but don't last for a lot of time. This type of climate is found in the Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace.

Temperature

• Abs. minimum temperature: −27.8 °C (−18.0 °F), Ptolemaida.
• Abs. maximum temperature: 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), Elefsina and Tatoi.

Τhe +48.0 °C (118.4 °F) recorded by minimum/maximum thermometers in Tatoi and Elefsina as reported by a communication of Dr. Athanasios D. Sarantopoulos is also the WMO record high temperature for Greece and Europe.^[2] Average annual temperature in Greece ranges from +10 to +19.7 °C (50.0 to 67.5 °F). However, since Greece is generally a mountainous country, real average temperatures vary considerably from region to region.,

Local winds

Etesians

Probably the most well known local winds in Greece are the etesians (also known as meltimi). With their name notating their annual fluctuation (έτος (étos) means year in Greek), these winds blow roughly from May to October, with their highest frequency being recorded in July and August. They keep temperatures and diurnal temperature fluctuations in the Aegean sea lower than the respective ones found in the Ionian sea or mainland Greece.

References

External links

• Hellenic National Meteorological Service
• National Observatory of Athens
• Network of online weather stations

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