Greece Welcomes June with First Heatwave, Temperatures Exceeding 35°C

The first day of June brought a summer welcome to Greece, with high temperatures and a rush to the beaches as mercury levels climbed to 35 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country.

Images from Ayia beach in Patras showed crowds enjoying the sun and sea, with temperatures in the city nearing 30°C. The highest temperatures were recorded in Thessaly and Central Greece, with Karditsa reaching a peak of 35.9°C. Trikala followed closely at 35.1°C, while Dendrа of Tyrnavos and Farsala registered 34.8°C and 34.7°C respectively. Even in Athens, the city center reached 30°C, with areas like Avlona in Attica recording 33.2°C.

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The week that starts and officially starts the summer will be a summer week with temperatures slightly higher than normal values. However, we don't expect anything extreme. Up to 33–34 degrees maximum temperatures in the coming days, mainly in the mainland and mainly in areas like Central Macedonia and Thessaly. Weak to moderate winds generally from western southwestern directions. We don't expect it to cause problems.

Across the country, coastal and urban areas also felt the heat. Thessaloniki saw temperatures around 32.2°C in Neoi Epivates, while Mytilene on the island of Lesbos reached 32.2°C. Crete registered 30.6°C in Chania's Platanias, and Halkidiki's Neos Marmaras hit 30.2°C.

Looking ahead, meteorologist Kostas Lagouvardos, director of research at the National Observatory of Athens, described the upcoming weather as a stable, summery pattern with temperatures slightly above average, but without extremes. He anticipates maximum temperatures around 33-34°C, particularly in inland areas like Central Macedonia and Thessaly. Winds are expected to be light to moderate from the west-southwest. Lagouvardos noted that the sea temperatures in the Ionian and Aegean Seas are currently between 20-22°C, about one degree higher than usual for this time of year, making it an ideal period for early summer excursions.

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The instability that exists in certain parts is being limited more day by day, and we will have good weather in most areas of the country. The sea temperatures in the Ionian and Aegean Seas are between 20, 21 and in some areas 22 degrees, meaning half to one degree higher than normal for the season. We can say that we have a summer pattern, without extreme t