The year 2024 saw significant temperature extremes and varying weather patterns across Greece, marked by record-breaking heat, bitterly cold winter days, and fluctuating rainfall levels. A recent post by meteorologist Nikos Kanteres highlights the most noteworthy weather events of the year.
Hottest and Coldest Days of 2024
- Hottest Day:
The June 13 was officially the hottest day of the year, with temperatures soaring to a blistering 44°C in areas like Nea Filadelfeia in Attica, on Milos, Kranidi a town in the Peloponnese, and Agioi Pantes, an islet of Crete. Other regions, such as Sparta and Chania, recorded 43°C, while temperatures in Elliniko, a southern Athens suburb reached 42°C.
At the 850hPa level in the atmosphere, temperatures reached an unprecedented 27.2°C, indicating an extreme heatwave. - Coldest Day:
On the other end of the spectrum, January 22 was the coldest day of the year, with temperatures plummeting to -19°C in Florina in northwestern Macedonia. Kastoria and Kozani in western Macedonia followed, recording -12°C and -10°C, respectively. At the 850hPa level, the temperature was recorded at -6.1°C, underscoring the intensity of the cold front that swept across northern Greece.
December’s Weather Highlights
While much of 2024 experienced lower-than-average rainfall, December broke the dry spell, delivering precipitation levels significantly above the monthly norm and marking the wettest month of the year in several areas.
- Rainfall in December:
The Athens Observatory recorded 93.6mm of rain throughout the month, with the most significant rainfall occurring overnight from December 25th to 26th, when 42mm was measured at Athens’ International Airport. - Temperature Variations in Athens:
The warmest day of the month in Athens was December 10th, with a maximum temperature of 21°C. In stark contrast, December 28th recorded the coldest high temperature of the month, at just 10°C. - Rainfall Deficit:
The first quarter of 2024 (January to March) experienced below-average rainfall levels across Greece. A prolonged dry spell followed from April to November, particularly affecting the Attica Peninsula.
