Athens. Photo: Shutterstock The weather in Europe continues to show sharp changes at the end of July, with abnormal heat on the one hand and systems of rain and storms on the other.
Extreme temperatures were recorded in Greece just this week. According to the Greek National Meteorological Service (EMY), on Wednesday, July 22, temperatures in the eastern continental regions reached 41-42 degrees, and in Thessaly even up to 43 degrees.
But the picture changed in a short time. The Greek Meteorological Service issued a red warning for dangerous weather, effective from Friday, July 24, until the morning hours of Saturday, July 25. According to the official announcement, heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected in many areas, accompanied in some places by strong gusts of wind, increased lightning activity and even the possibility of local hail.
The warnings include, among others, Central Macedonia, Eastern Thessaly, the Sporades and Evia. Attica, where Athens is located, is also included in an orange warning during Friday. A red warning level has been set in the Sporades and parts of Evia.
At the same time, a significant drop in temperatures is being recorded in Greece. According to the official forecast for Friday, temperatures are expected to reach about 29-30 degrees in the north, 30-32 degrees in most of the rest of the country, and up to about 33 degrees in Crete and the Dodecanese Islands. On Saturday, another slight drop is expected, and in most areas, temperatures will reach 26-30 degrees. A slight rise is expected on Sunday, and further warming on Monday.
In Spain, the trend is different. The national meteorological service AEMET has issued a forecast that the week between July 27 and August 2 is expected to be very hot, especially in the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, where temperatures are expected to be clearly above the typical average for the period. According to the forecast, rainfall is also expected to be low.
Britain has also already experienced an unusually hot summer: the British meteorological service, Met Office, reported earlier this month that for the first time in British records, 35 degrees or higher were measured in May, June, and July of that year, evidence of the hot summer that is also affecting parts of northwestern Europe.