Greece Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Piraeus, and Larissa
Summary
Greece experienced another unseasonably hot month as temperatures reached an average of 25.1°C, making it the 14th warmest July on record. Severe heatwave conditions swept through the country late in the month with temperatures topping 41°C, igniting fierce wildfires in Crete and areas surrounding Athens that forced thousands of evacuations. On the global stage, a moderate El Niño in the tropical Pacific is forecast to peak at Very Strong during autumn, with hot and dry conditions anticipated to linger through late summer.
This month in numbers
July 2026 delivered an average temperature of 25.1°C in Greece, sitting 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank 14th warmest in 87 years of records. Across the May-July period, the average temperature reached 21.7°C, placing it 18th highest on record at 1.1°C above baseline. While local anomalies remained moderate compared to the all-time peak set in 2024, global land temperatures reached extraordinary levels, with the month ranking 3rd warmest globally at 1.6°C above baseline and the May-July period standing 2nd warmest in recorded history.
What changed
The three-month period from May to July maintained a persistent warming trend across the country, though Greece experienced somewhat less intense atmospheric heating than western Europe. While the broader European continent averaged an anomaly 2.25°C above baseline during the month, Greece recorded a 1.55°C anomaly, ranking 131st out of 232 regions globally. While nations like France and Spain suffered top-tier heatwaves, Greece fell into a relatively moderate position within the Europe group, mirroring a long-term warming trend that has raised average annual temperatures by 1.41°C since the 1960s.
What’s driving change?
The intense heatwave late in the month was primarily produced by atmospheric trapping warm air over the Mediterranean, reinforced by that prevented natural evaporative cooling. A high-pressure system drew warm air from northern Africa, creating elevated thermal stress and tinder-dry conditions that fuelled destructive brushfires across Attica and the Aegean islands. On a broader scale, a moderate El Niño active in the Pacific, tracked live at ENSO, typically nudges Mediterranean summers toward warmer and drier conditions, though local played the dominant role.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks indicate that elevated temperatures and dry conditions are likely to continue through early autumn as El Niño intensifies in the tropical Pacific.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Greece
Köppen Csa · TemperateGreece has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 25.6°C, while January is the coldest at 6.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 632mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Greece
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Greece
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Greece
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Greece
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Greece
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csa · TemperateGreece has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±9.7°C) and a wet/dry cycle (6× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Oct (-24 mm, -31%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Greece
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Greece changing?
Greece is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Greece?
Greece has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 25.6°C, while January is the coldest at 6.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 632mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Greece come from?
Climate data for Greece comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Greece climate data cover?
The Greece climate profile covers Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Piraeus and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Greece
How often is the Greece climate update refreshed?
The Greece climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Greece climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Greece climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.