Cold snap to last through Friday, says weather service
A cold front that is expected to sweep into Greece late Tuesday will persist through Friday, the Hellenic National Meteorological Service said, warning that temperatures are expected to drop by as much as 6-8 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country.
The HNMS said that northerly-northeasterly winds at speeds as high as 9-10 Beaufort will be sweeping a cold front that has battered many parts of Europe in the past few days into Greece starting on Tuesday night.
Showers are expected in most southern and eastern parts, including Athens, while there is also a chance of thunderstorms in the Aegean.
Snow is forecast overnight in areas of central and northern Greece that are above an altitude of 600 meters, while there will also be some flurries at high altitudes on the islands on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Significant snowfall is also forecast for the mountains of Crete in the southern Aegean.
Athens is not expected to get any snow, except perhaps on the mountains surrounding it, but it will be buffeted by strong winds putting a bite in lower temperatures. The temperature in the Greek capital on Wednesday will range from a daytime high of 7 degrees Celsius to a nighttime low of 4C, though it will be 3-4 degrees lower in northern and eastern parts of the region.
Thessaloniki will see a daytime high of 8 Celsius dropping to 1 Celsius overnight.
Strong winds are expected to abate on Thursday and Friday, though they will be followed by frost, especially in central and northern parts of the country.
