Unsettling weather will continue through Sunday, after which we expect a reduction in instability, with northerly winds in the Aegean picking up significantly, driving temperatures lower. According to the National Meteorological Service (EMY), we can expect localized heavy rain, thunderstorms, and brief hail showers this morning until the afternoon in Thessaly, western and central Macedonia, as well as during the midday to afternoon hours in Eastern Sterea, Evia, and briefly in Epirus and Thrace.

Meteorologist Thodoris Kolyda noted in a post that “instability will persist until Sunday, mainly in the mainland, while next week the main feature will be a drop in temperatures to below normal levels, with potentially strong northerly winds in the Aegean on Monday and Tuesday.”

Meanwhile, Giorgos Tsatrafyllias mentioned that “Labor Day will be without short sleeves,” and regarding the weekend weather, he said, “It will feature afternoon showers, hail, and thunderstorms for mainland Greece,” unlike the islands, where conditions are expected to be better.

“From Sunday evening, the weather is set to change. Specifically, the northerly winds will strengthen to 7-8 Beaufort in the Aegean, and temperatures will drop by 5-6 degrees. The only areas expected to receive rain will be Crete and the Dodecanese. We’ll be dealing with this weather until Labor Day! Make sure to wear something light over you,” the Alpha meteorologist shared in his post.

Lightning Strikes and Rainfall Statistics from Friday

On Friday, April 25, local rain and thunderstorms affected many areas of the country, particularly Crete and Rhodes. Data from the third-generation European weather satellite Meteosat-12 and its Lightning Imager (LI) showed that by 18:10 on Friday, nearly 5,000 lightning strikes had been recorded, most of them in Crete and Rhodes, as illustrated in the accompanying map.

It’s important to note that electrical discharges include all lightning phenomena, such as strikes between clouds and the ground, discharges between clouds, as well as those between clouds and the surrounding air.

Today’s Weather Forecast

Expect periods of cloudiness with local rain and thunderstorms, primarily during the warmer parts of the day in the mainland. There’s also a chance of localized rain or thunderstorms in Crete and Rhodes. Thunderstorms in central and northern mountainous areas could be accompanied by small hail.

Temperatures will range from 7 to 18 degrees Celsius in Western Macedonia, 5 to 25 degrees Celsius in the rest of Macedonia and Thrace, 5 to 23 degrees Celsius in Thessaly, 5 to 21 degrees Celsius in Epirus, 7 to 23 degrees Celsius in other mainland areas, 9 to 20 degrees Celsius in the Ionian Islands, and from 8 to 22 degrees Celsius in the Aegean islands and Crete.

Winds in the Central and Northern Aegean will be from various directions, reaching speeds of 2-3 Beaufort, while in the Southern Aegean, winds will generally blow from the west, up to 4-5 Beaufort. In the Ionian, winds will come from generally western or northwestern directions, with speeds of up to 2-3 Beaufort and locally up to 4 Beaufort in southern regions.

In Attica, expect periods of cloudiness with local rain and thunderstorms mainly during the warm hours of the day. Winds will blow from various directions at speeds of up to 2-3 Beaufort. Temperatures will range from 15 to 21-23 degrees Celsius.

In Thessaloniki, expect periods of cloudiness with a chance of local rain and thunderstorms. Winds will blow from various directions at speeds of up to 2 Beaufort. Temperatures will range from 15 to 21-22 degrees Celsius.

Weather Forecast for Sunday (April 27)

Unstable weather is expected with rain and sporadic thunderstorms, initially affecting Eastern Sterea, Evia, and the central Aegean. Later, showers will spread to parts of the mainland and Crete. Localized phenomena may be strong and could include brief hail. Gradual improvement is expected in most areas from the evening onward. Visibility may be limited in the western areas during the morning hours.

Winds will blow from the north at 3 to 5 Beaufort, gradually increasing from midday in the Aegean to 6 to 7 Beaufort and locally up to 8 Beaufort in northern regions.

Temperatures will see a slight increase in the west, reaching 22 to 23 degrees, locally 24 degrees, while the rest of the country can expect temperatures between 19 to 21 degrees Celsius.