February will “kick off” with severe bad weather, with rain and thunderstorms occurring across almost the entire country. Attica will not be “out of the picture,” with Thodoris Kolydas warning that on Sunday morning the main front of the system will pass through the Athens basin with particular intensity.

According to the meteorologist, from Saturday afternoon (31/1) heavy rain and thunderstorms will develop from the southwest and spread eastward. Mr. Kolydas described the barometric system as “strong” and “deep,” and said that from Sunday morning (1/2) it will be over the Ionian Sea, affecting almost the whole country with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

This is an extensive spell of severe weather, according to the meteorologist, who did not rule out the issuance of an emergency bulletin for dangerous weather phenomena by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service. By Monday morning, the phenomena will be limited to the eastern parts of the country.

Ziakopoulou: The 6 “red” regions

Meteorologist Nikoleta Ziakopoulou said that “this is not a random low-pressure system,” as it will be “deep, organized, with structure,” drawing its strength from the waters of the Mediterranean, while gale-force cyclonic winds will prevail. She explained that the system will pass through the Ionian Sea and the Peloponnese and then move into the Aegean, while in the northern Aegean winds of 9–10 Beaufort will prevail.

Attica is expected to be affected during the first half of Sunday with rain and thunderstorms. Attica “has received a year’s worth of rainfall over the last three months and is already burdened and requires caution.”

Ms. Ziakopoulou also presented the six “red” regions, saying that “they concern us,” with Thessaly the most worrying of all. Specifically, she predicts that in the region it will rain continuously for almost 24 hours.

The six “red” regions:

• Peloponnese
• Aegean
• Crete
• Central Greece
• Thessaly
• Attica

A drop in temperature is expected, along with snowfall in mountainous areas and at low altitudes in northern Greece. Weather conditions will improve during Monday (2/2).

Tsatrafyllias: Strong thunderstorm in Attica on Sunday

On his part, Giorgos Tsatrafyllias forecasts a significant deterioration in the weather from Saturday night, starting in the west, with strong thunderstorms, gale-force winds, snow, and hail, while temperatures will see a slight drop.

“We are entering a phase of serious bad weather,” he notes. On Sunday, according to the meteorologist, the severe weather will be nationwide in character: heavy snowfall even in semi-mountainous areas of central and northern Greece, persistent rain and thunderstorms in the west, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Thessaly, Crete, the Cyclades, and the eastern Aegean. Giorgos Tsatrafyllias predicts a strong thunderstorm in Attica during the early morning hours of Sunday.

Gale-force and dangerous cyclonic winds will blow in island and coastal areas, according to Mr. Tsatrafyllias. On Monday, the severe weather will be confined to the eastern island regions and will gradually weaken.

HNMS forecast for Saturday

In the west, clouds temporarily increasing with local rain and, until the morning hours, isolated thunderstorms in the Ionian Sea, western Central Greece, and western Peloponnese. From late at night, the phenomena will intensify. In the rest of the country, clouds temporarily increasing with local rain and, mainly in the Aegean islands until midday, scattered thunderstorms; however, from late afternoon in most areas the phenomena will stop. Temporary snowfall will occur in the central and northern mountainous regions.

Winds: in the south, westerly to southwesterly 4–6 Beaufort; in the north, easterly to northeasterly 3–5 Beaufort; and from evening in the Ionian, southeasterly 6 Beaufort.
Temperatures will not change significantly. In the north they will reach 12–13°C, locally 14°C; in the Ionian and the rest of the mainland 15–17°C; in the southern Aegean 18–19°C, locally in the Dodecanese up to 20°C.

Detailed forecasts:

ATTICA
Weather: Cloudy with local rain and possibly isolated thunderstorms in the morning hours. Gradually becoming mostly clear with few clouds, locally and at times increased.
Winds: Northwesterly 3–4 Beaufort, turning northeasterly in the evening with the same intensity.
Temperature: 9 to 17°C.

THESSALONIKI
Weather: Clouds temporarily increasing with local rain.
Winds: Northwesterly 3–4 Beaufort, turning easterly in the afternoon with the same intensity.
Temperature: 6 to 12–13°C.

MACEDONIA, THRACE
Weather: Clouds temporarily increasing with local rain. Isolated thunderstorms may occur in Halkidiki until midday.
Light snowfall in mountainous areas.
Winds: Easterly 4–5 Beaufort, increasing in the east to 6 Beaufort in the evening; temporarily until midday in the west, northwesterly 3–4 Beaufort.
Temperature: 4 to 13°C, locally 14°C. In western Macedonia, 3–4°C lower.

IONIAN ISLANDS, EPIRUS, WESTERN CENTRAL GREECE, WESTERN PELOPONNESE
Weather: Few clouds temporarily increasing with local rain and isolated thunderstorms until midday. The phenomena will gradually weaken, but from late night they will intensify, and overnight rain and scattered thunderstorms, possibly locally intense, will occur.
Temporary snowfall in the mountainous areas of Epirus.
Winds: Westerly to northwesterly 4–5 Beaufort, in the south up to 6 Beaufort, turning southeasterly in the evening with the same intensity.
Temperature: 6 to 15–17°C; in inland Epirus from -1 to 10–11°C.

THESSALY, EASTERN CENTRAL GREECE, EUBOEA, EASTERN PELOPONNESE
Weather: Few clouds temporarily increasing with local rain and, in the morning hours, isolated thunderstorms mainly in the north.
Winds: Westerly directions 3–5 Beaufort and in the south up to 6 Beaufort, gradually weakening. From midday in the north turning easterly 3–5 Beaufort.
Temperature: 6 to 16–17°C; in the north 2–3°C lower.

CYCLADES, CRETE
Weather: Few clouds temporarily increasing in the early morning hours, when local rain and scattered thunderstorms will occur.
Winds: Southwesterly 4–6 Beaufort, gradually weakening from evening.
Temperature: 10 to 18°C, and in Crete up to 18–19°C.

EASTERN AEGEAN ISLANDS – DODECANESE
Weather: Clouds temporarily increasing with local rain and scattered thunderstorms. From late afternoon, the phenomena will gradually stop.
Winds: Southwesterly 4–6 Beaufort; in the north, northeasterly 3–5 Beaufort.
Temperature: 13 to 18–19°C, locally in the Dodecanese up to 20°C; in the north 2–3°C lower.

Weather on Sunday, 1 February

Increased cloud cover and rain across the country. Thunderstorms will occur mainly in the Ionian Sea, the central and southern mainland, Crete, and the Aegean. The phenomena may be locally strong from the start of the day in the Ionian, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, and Thessaly, and gradually in central Macedonia, Crete, and the northern and eastern Aegean. Weakening of the phenomena is expected at night in the west.

Snowfall will occur in the mountainous areas of the mainland and from the afternoon also in semi-mountainous areas of northern Greece, as well as in parts of Thrace and eastern Macedonia at low altitudes.

Winds: in the north, easterly to northeasterly; in the south, southerly directions, 4–6 Beaufort and over the seas 7, locally 8 Beaufort.

Temperatures will fall in central and northern regions. In Macedonia, Thrace, inland Epirus, and Thessaly, they will not exceed 8–10°C, while they will reach 14–16°C in the Ionian, the northern Aegean, and the rest of the mainland, and 17–19°C in the southern Aegean and Crete. Frost will occur mainly in the evening hours in central and northern mainland areas.

Forecast for Monday, 2 February

Temporarily increased cloud cover with local rain and, in the morning hours over the Aegean islands and Crete, scattered thunderstorms. In the afternoon, the phenomena will weaken. Temporary light snowfall will occur in the central and northern mountainous areas, as well as in parts of Thrace at lower altitudes.

Winds: from northerly directions and temporarily in the morning in the southeastern Aegean southwesterly, 4–6 Beaufort and in the Aegean locally 7–8 Beaufort, gradually weakening from the afternoon. Temperatures will fall slightly further and fluctuate at normal levels for the season. Frost will occur in the morning and evening hours over the mainland.

Weather on Tuesday, 3 February

Few clouds, temporarily locally increased, with a chance of light local rain in central Macedonia.

Winds: in the southeastern Aegean northwesterly 5–7 Beaufort, gradually weakening; in the rest of the country southerly to southeasterly 3–5 Beaufort, and gradually in the Ionian from the afternoon 6–7 Beaufort.

Temperatures will show a slight rise, mainly in maximum values. Frost will occur in the morning and evening hours over the mainland.

Forecast for Wednesday, 4 February

Thin cloud cover, locally denser, with local rain mainly from midday in the west and gradually in the rest of the mainland and the northern Aegean. Scattered thunderstorms will occur from the afternoon in the northwest. Snowfall will occur from the afternoon in the northwestern mountainous areas. Winds will be southerly to southeasterly 4–6 Beaufort, and in the Ionian and from the afternoon in the Aegean locally 7–8 Beaufort. Temperatures will rise further.