Temperatures in Greece are expected to spike sharply for the next three days, reaching highs of more than 40C in many parts of the interior, according to an updated warning by the national meteorological service on Monday. The heatwave will be followed by a marked drop in temperatures on Thursday.
Coastal areas are expected to be 2-4C cooler than the interior of mainland Greece and humidity levels will be very low (20-30% at midday in the interior of the mainland). Minimum temperatures in urban areas on Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to remain relatively high at 27-29C.
On Monday, temperatures between 38-40C are forecast throughout the mainland, reaching as high as 41C in the east, while top temperatures will range between 35C and 37C for the Ionian islands and between 36C and 38C for the islands of the Eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese.
Tuesday will see a slight drop in temperatures in the Ionian Sea and western mainland and slight rise of 1-2C for the eastern mainland and the Aegean. Temperatures will peak at 41-42C on the mainland in the east, 38-39C in the west, 34-36C on the Ionian islands and between 37-38C on the islands of the Eastern Aegean and the Dodecanese.
The high temperatures will continue in the east on Wednesday, while dropping further in the west. Maximum temperatures will be between 40C and 42C on the eastern mainland, 35-37C on the mainland in the west and 37-38C on the islands of the Eastern Aegean, the Dodecanese and parts of Crete.