Athenians are sweltering through one of the hottest starts to the year on record.
According to the National Observatory of Athens, January has already proven to be Athens’ hottest month in at least 160 years.
Specifically, during the first ten days of January 2021, temperatures in the Greek capital ranged from 18.3°C-12.1°C. The average temperature was 14.8°C.
On Sunday January 9, temperatures peaked at 22.2°C. The warm weather lured crowds to beaches and parks in Attica, despite the coronavirus lockdown.
2020 was one of the two warmest years on record, tied only with 2016.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, in 2020, average temperatures globally were 1.25°C warmer than preindustrial levels — the point at which scientists agree that human activity, and the burning of fossil fuels, began to accelerate global warming.
*More on GCT: Solar charges installed at beach in Athens
