Rain and Thunderstorms to Sweep Western, Central, and Northern Greece on October 28

As Greeks across the country and the diaspora prepare to mark Oxi Day on October 28, the National Meteorological Service (EMY) forecasts a mix of unsettled weather in the west, center, and north, giving way to improvement, while milder conditions persist in the south and east.

Today, Monday, October 27, cloudy skies with local showers are expected across western, central, and northern regions. Sporadic thunderstorms will develop from the early morning hours in the northern Ionian Sea and Epirus, gradually spreading to western Sterea, Macedonia, and Thrace. These phenomena will ease from midday onward, starting in the northwest, with skies clearing progressively.

The rest of the country will see thin clouds thickening at times, with local rains and isolated thunderstorms from midday in the eastern Aegean islands. Morning and evening visibility may be locally reduced. Southerly southwesterly winds will blow at 4 to 6 Beaufort, locally reaching 7 and briefly 8 in the Aegean, before shifting to west-northwesterly and weakening across most areas.

Temperatures will rise slightly further in the south, peaking at 23–25°C in most regions, 26–28°C locally in central and southern areas, and 29–30°C in Crete.

Regional Breakdown for October 27:
- Macedonia and Thrace: Cloudy with local rains and gradual thunderstorms; improvement from midday westward. Winds: South-southwesterly 3–5 Beaufort, up to 7 in eastern coastal areas, shifting west-northwesterly and easing. Temperatures: 11–23°C (2–3°C lower in western Macedonia).
- Ionian Islands, Epirus, Western Sterea, Western Peloponnese: Patchy clouds with local rains, starting north; thunderstorms from early morning in northern Ionian and Epirus, extending to western Sterea. Clearing from midday northward, fully by late afternoon. Winds: Southerly 4–6 Beaufort, quickly west-northwesterly and weakening. Temperatures: 12–24°C, up to 25–26°C in southern spots (3–4°C lower inland Epirus).
- Thessaly, Eastern Sterea, Evia, Eastern Peloponnese: Few clouds increasing with local rains until afternoon. Winds: Southwesterly 4–5 Beaufort, up to 6–7 in southern seas, shifting west-northwesterly up to 5 by midday. Temperatures: 11–26°C, locally 27–28°C south.
- Cyclades and Crete: Mostly clear with few local clouds. Winds: South-southwesterly 5–7 Beaufort, west-southwesterly 4–6 from late afternoon. Temperatures: 17–28°C, up to 29–30°C in Crete.
- Eastern Aegean Islands and Dodecanese: Few clouds thickening in eastern Aegean with midday local rains and thunderstorms, ending by evening; sparse clouds in Dodecanese. Winds: Southerly 4–6 Beaufort, up to 7–8 north briefly, easing afternoon. Temperatures: 16–24°C, up to 27°C in Dodecanese.
- Attica: Thin clouds intermittently denser. Winds: Southwesterly 3–5 Beaufort, up to 6–7 south briefly, west-northwesterly up to 5 from midday westward. Temperatures: 15–27°C.
- Thessaloniki: Few clouds quickly building with local rains and thunderstorms; improvement early afternoon. Winds: Southerly 3–4 Beaufort, north-northwesterly 4–5 from midday, easing. Temperatures: 12–23°C.

Forecast for Oxi Day, Tuesday, October 28:
Increased clouds in the eastern islands with local rains until afternoon. Elsewhere, few clouds locally denser, mainly in the Ionian and western/northern mainland, with scattered local showers fading by afternoon. Evening visibility may be limited in western mainland areas.

Winds from western directions at 3–5 Beaufort, locally 6 in southern seas, shifting north-northwesterly from afternoon. Temperatures will drop, reaching 21–22°C in west and north, 24–26°C in Aegean islands, and 23–24°C elsewhere.

Greeks in diaspora communities, from Melbourne to New York, are advised to monitor updates for any travel plans back home, as the brief stormy spell coincides with national holiday celebrations. EMY urges caution in affected areas, particularly for outdoor events in the north.