Greece Climate

Greece Climate The climate of Greece is predominantly Mediterranean, but because of the country’s unique morphology, various areas have different micro – climates and variations. The Pindus range, which runs across Greece on a northwestern – southeastern axis, divides the country geographically in two, rendering the climate of Western Greece wetter and sharing more characteristics with maritime climates, while the eastern part of Greece is generally drier and windier. Northern Greece is mainly characterized by a transitional climate sharing features of both continental and Mediterranean climates, while there are also mountainous areas with alpine features.

The Mediterranean climate is prevalent in the region of the Aegean, including the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Evia, and low – lying areas of Attica and Peloponnese. This climate is characterized by sunny and dry summers, with sparse precipitation in the form of showers or thunderstorms. Nights can be pleasantly hot, but there are also windy days, especially in Cyclades in August, with strong winds called meltemia. Winters are wet and snow, if falling, melts quickly.

The Alpine Mediterranean climate of the mountainous areas of Greece is characterized by harsh winters with lots of snowfall, and cool summers with thunderstorms. This climate is predominant in high mountains, like the mountain ranges of Pindus and Rhodope. Ski resorts have opened in areas with alpine characteristics, which are very popular among Greeks during winter, such as Karpenisi in Central Greece.

The transitional climate between continental and Mediterranean climate can be found in Northern Greece and the northern parts of Central Greece, mainly Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace. This climate is characterized by cold and wet winters with rainy days, while snowfalls may occur, though the snow does not last very long. In summer, there may also be heatwaves, as well as short rainfalls.

The minimum temperature ever recorded in Greece is -27.8 degrees Celsius in Ptolemaida, while the maximum temperature is 48 degrees Celsius in Elefsina. This is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe. However, due to the peculiar morphology of Greece, average temperatures may vary considerably among regions.

See Also:

Thank you for contacting Greece.com.

Thank you for your enquiry to Greece.com Villas, in partnership with ISV. Our Villa Experts will get back to you very soon with more information on your Greece villa holiday!

The contact form was not sent. Please contact us via email at [email protected].

All form fields are required.

If you want to add, edit or delete a Greece.com Business page, CLICK HERE to create a Greece.com Account