Weather forecast for Greece as wildfires rage and second heatwave hits

Wildfires continue to rage across Greece as the extreme heat that has gripped Europe for weeks is set to continue into August.

Firefighters have struggled through the night to contain 82 wildfires across Greece, 64 of which started on Sunday, the hottest day of the summer so far, amid strong winds and successive heatwaves driven by the climate crisis.

The most serious fire was on the island of Rhodes, where 19,000 people had been evacuated from several locations as wildfires burned for a sixth day, Greek authorities said, in what was "the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country".

“The risk of fire will be extreme in several areas of Greece today,” Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said a day after temperatures on the southern Greek mainland soared as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Overnight, evacuations were also ordered on the western island of Corfu, where more than 2,000 people including tourists were moved to safety, on the island of Evia and in a mountainous area in the southern Peloponnese region.

A red weather warning remains in place, calling for “vigilance” and acting upon the advice of authorities.

A relative respite from the heat on Monday, with highs of 38 C (100 F) forecast, is to be followed by yet more high temperatures starting Tuesday.

However, it should get significantly cooler on Thursday, with temperatures in the low- to mid-30s Celsius, the country’s Meteorological Service said Sunday evening.

Below we take a look at the Greek weather forecast for the upcoming days.

On Monday, a “temporary retreat of very high temperatures” is forecast by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, which is the Greek weather service, while sunshine is predicted in most areas.

The temperature is set to drop by 2C to 5C, with the east of the country expected to experience the biggest drop and the west due for the smallest.

The highest temperatures that are forecast to be reached in the Dodecanese, of which Rhodes is the largest island, as well as southern Crete is 38C to 39C.

In the Ionian islands, the highest temperature is predicted to be 38C to 40C. Corfu is the northernmost of these islands.

In Western Sterea and the Peloponnese, temperatures could peak at 41C to 42C.

Temperatures in Athens are expected to hit 37C and not drop below 26C, according to the Met Office, which reflects the high overnight temperatures that have been plaguing Europe. Stephen Dixon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, told The Independent overnight temperatures towards the start of the week are not likely to drop below 20C.

A new heatwave is set to hit Greece on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to reach up to 44C in Thessaly.

The maximum temperature on the mainland is forecast to be 40C to 42C.

In the Ionian islands, the islands of the eastern Aegean, the Dodecanese and southern Crete peak temperatures are predicted to be between 39C to 41C.

The rest of the country is forecast to reach temperatures of around 36C to 38C at their hottest.

Wednesday is forecast to experience the peak temperatures of the heatwave, said Mr Dixon. He said the maximum temperatures will widely be 35C, while some areas could reach 40C.

When it comes to the island of Rhodes, the current hotspot of the ongoing wildfires, Mr Dixon said the hot temperatures are likely to peak at close to 39C on Wednesday.

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service is forecasting a change in the weather in the afternoon. In the northwest of the country - specifically in the northern Ionian, Epirus and western Sterea - storms temporarily accompanied by “very strong” north-northwest winds are set to hit. Described as “short-lived but intense”, the phenomena is expected to extend in the evening to Macedonia, Thessaly, the western Peloponnese, and the southern Ionian.

Temperatures will gradually ease on Thursday and into Friday throughout Greece, according to Mr Dixon.

The Greek weather service predicts temperatures to drop by 6C to 8C, with highs not expected to exceed 35C to 37C.

Mr Dixon said this would be “more back towards what is expected at this time of year”, after it has been “notably high for quite a long time”.