Athens weather

The weather in Athens can only be described as heavenly. Mild winters, low humidity, hot summers and pleasant autumns.

During the spring and summer, Athens is very hot and dry. There are subtropical pressure systems that create a Mediterranean subtropical climate. During the summer, the dry heat and excessive smog can make it very uncomfortable to be outside. Autumn and winter can be changeable due to a polar front exerting its influence over the region. It is often mild but very rainy. Summer temperatures tend to reach around 31 degrees Celsius, and winter tends to stay around the 16 degrees Celsius mark, falling as low as 5 degrees Celsius. Occasionally, winter will produce a snowstorm that paralyses Athens for a while.

Rainfall is sparse and is enjoyed from mid October to mid April. Sometimes, a few showers are observed in the summer months. Because of low rainfall long periods of drought are no acception. Drought is a problem Greece has to cope with, as the risk of forest fires are high in this season. Athens also experience snowfalls almost every year.

Dry and wet conditions occur in the Aegean islands. During the summer the conditions are most frequently dry and sunny, and any rain that falls is in the form of showers, or thunder storms. The air is usually hot during the day and warm during the nights, but on the Cyclades islands, and surrounding area, there will be some windy days. Heat waves do occur but mostly on coastal areas and are usually around 40°. There are a few areas that are affected by heat waves in the area. A heat wave is where high temperatures persist into the night. For this reason most residents tend to spend the summers on one of the islands where the heat is tempered by a sea breeze.

Greece in general often have abundant snowfall during the winter time. During the summer time, the mountainous areas are rather cool and a little more humid than Athens in general.

While taking a look at the mountains, take a look around their forests too. Over 100 million trees were planted between 1970 and 1980, but the recent economic trouble has increased the amount of forest exploitation in the country, without any efforts to replant the deforested areas. Over 15% of Greece’s income comes from tourism, but their increased smog, water pollution, crime, corruption and deforestation is starting to affect the country’s tourism numbers.

It is strongly recommended that you wear lightweight linens and cottons during the summer months. In Athens itself, you will learn to appreciate their stiff evening breezes. It can get incredibly hot, but thanks to the evening breezes, it can be rather nice. If you are planning on swimming in the sea, then go between June and September, but remember that the July heat may be stifling. If you are visiting between June and September, then you may experience heat of up to 40 degrees Celsius. However, during this time, the average hotel stay jumps to as much as six times above average. That means that if you visit Athens in summer, you may end up paying six times more to stay in a hotel than if you were to stay in a hotel in a surrounding city or area.

Winters may still be mild, with the warmest winter months being around 22 degree Celsius. There are occasions where the wind may become very strong. It has been known to disrupt ferryboats in the area, which may pose a problem if you were planning to visit the islands.