Extreme weather in Greece: temperatures rise above 31 degrees just before snow and frost arrive

Greece is experiencing a weather rollercoaster, with temperatures this weekend climbing to a record high for March, just ahead of a forecast episode of snow and frost, meteorologists said on Sunday.

The mercury rose to 31.4°C on Saturday in the central town of Livadia, the hottest ever recorded for a month of March, according to the Athens National Observatory's Meteo.grwebsite. Across the country, weather stations recorded temperatures more typical of a May than the last days of winter. “Having such temperatures so early in March has never happened before,” meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos told ERT television. The unusual spike was attributed to a veil of Saharan dust in the air.

Following a wave of forest fires, a nationwide ban on fires in rural properties is in force until March 18. But Greeks will have to prepare for falling temperatures from Tuesday, the weather services have announced. “A cold air mass will bring showers and snow throughout the country,” said Giannopoulos. “In Athens, where today we have 27°C, the maximum temperature will be 11°C. It's a roller-coaster ride,” he added. 

This abrupt change is particularly problematic for the agricultural sector. In the northern Greek region of Macedonia - where temperatures reached 27°C over the weekend - the expected frost is likely to cause severe damage to fruit trees in full bloom. Greece is feeling the full impact of climate change. It had its hottest summer on record last year and its mildest winter on record in 2023-2024, according to data from the Meteo.gr network.