ATHENS – A record heat wave in the summer of 2023 was followed by the warmest winter recorded in Greece, with long periods of temperatures above normal, a pattern seen in six of the previous ten years.
That came from early data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) analyzed by the National Observatory of Athens scientific team, meteo.gr. It showed warmer temperatures than the previous record of 2015-16.
The average maximum temperature in Greece during the winter period has risen by 1.8° Celsius from 1960 to 2024. In northern Greece, the average maximum temperature for the winter ranged 2-3°C above the mean of the 1991-2020 period, while in the rest of the country, it was 1-2°C higher.
In no part of Greece did the deviation of the average maximum temperature fall below +0.5°C. Tourism officials are anxious that the rising summer heat in the country could see foreign travelers heading for other destinations, particularly in northern Europe.
There was a benefit: Greeks and residents in the country didn’t have to turn on oil or gas heat for extended periods, saving the money along with the government which provides subsidies for households in need.
