Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) has issued an updated severe weather alert (112) for Saturday, December 7, highlighting severe lightning activity, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms affecting multiple regions.

Severe Weather on the Way

Intense weather phenomena are expected in the Dodecanese Islands until the afternoon, the Northern and Eastern Aegean Islands from midday until Sunday morning, and the Ionian Sea until the afternoon.

In Epirus, adverse conditions are forecast until noon, while Western Central Greece will experience storms through the afternoon. The Western Peloponnese will face intense weather from midday to evening, Macedonia (especially Eastern) from late morning to the afternoon, and Thrace from late morning to early Sunday morning.

Rain showers and local thunderstorms began early Saturday morning, primarily in western regions and the Eastern Aegean. Data from the Greek National Observatory’s meteo.gr network recorded the highest rainfall in Rhodes, with 96 mm by 9:00 AM, along with additional significant rainfall across the country.

Nationwide, rain and thunderstorms are forecast throughout Saturday, with more prolonged and intense phenomena expected in the western and Eastern Aegean. Thunderstorms in the Southern Ionian and Aegean may include small-sized hail, while Saharan dust is anticipated to affect southern Greece.

Temperature and Wind Forecast

Temperatures will vary across regions:

  • Western Macedonia: 3°C to 11°C
  • Northern Greece: 2°C to 14-15°C
  • Thessaly: 3°C to 13-14°C
  • Epirus: 5°C to 15°C
  • Mainland Greece: 4°C to 17°C
  • Ionian Islands: 11°C to 14-16°C
  • Northern Aegean Islands: 9°C to 15-16°C
  • Southern Aegean and Crete: 10°C to 19-20°C

Winds in the Aegean Sea will be south-southwest, reaching 5-6 Beaufort, while in the Southern Ionian, winds will shift from southwest (4-5 Beaufort, locally 6) to northwest in the afternoon, with significant weakening. In the Northern Ionian, northwest winds will start at 3-4 Beaufort, gradually decreasing.

Weather Outlook for Athens and Thessaloniki

In Athens, cloudy skies with a chance of local rain will give way to showers and possible thunderstorms in the afternoon. South winds will blow at 3-4 Beaufort, increasing to 5 Beaufort in eastern areas, with temperatures ranging from 12°C to 16°C.

In Thessaloniki, rain will dominate the morning, followed by gradual improvement in the afternoon. Winds will shift to northwest at 3-4 Beaufort, with temperatures between 9°C and 12°C.