Today's weather for Athens, Greece7th Aug 2008 19:50

back to top

Weather Overview for Athens

The climate of Athens can be summed as having hot dry summers and mild wet winters.

Yearly rainfall is low – amongst the lowest in Greece -  and occurs mostly as short heavy showers in winter. Summer can get very hot and smog becomes a problem. Spring and autumn are arguably the best time to visit the city.

Summer Weather:

Summer is very hot in Athens, especially in August when many flee the city for cooler parts. Daytime average highs are in the mid 30s in the middle of summer. Combined with the smog, this can be very uncomfortable, especially f you are looking to pack in lots of sight-seeing into your stay.

Summer heat waves are common in Athens, and can see the mercury soar into the 40s. The highest temperature recorded in Athens is a sweltering 48°C. This is also a record for the whole of Greece. With a heat wave that fierce, it is very hard to do anything.

Even at night, temperature remains above 20°C, so a room with air-conditioning might be preferable!

One thing you are guaranteed in summer in Athens is sunshine – its one of Europe’s sunniest cities. Average rainfall is very low between June and September and almost non-existent in the months of July and August.

Autumn Weather:

Autumn can be a great time to visit Athens, as temperatures are a little cooler, but there is still a lot of sunshine.

September remains very warm are daytime highs can still touch the 30s. By October it’s more likely to be a comfortable 25°C in the day, but this is when rainfall starts to become more likely. November sees daytime highs in the upper teens or lower 20s, while it can drop down close to 10°C at night.

Rainfall starts up from October, when you will get about 50-60mm of rain over the month. Expect the same in November. Most of this rain does though fall in short heavy showers so you there is still a lot of sunshine during these months.

For an active visit to Athens, this is a very good time.

Winter Weather:

Winter is generally quite mild in Athens with temperature ranging between 5°C and 15°C.

Colder temperatures are however possible and the city can receive snowfall on occasions. These are normally small and short-lived, but heavier falls can sometimes bring disruption to the city.

Temperatures can occasionally, but rarely, drop very low. A strong blizzard in February 2004 saw heavy snow and temperatures plummeting towards -10°C.

Rainfall is at its highest in December and January, at around 70mm per month. Again, expect mostly short heavy downpours so there is still a lot of sunshine to be enjoyed.

Spring Weather:

Together with autumn, spring is a great time to visit Athens, with pleasant temperatures and low rainfall.

Daytime highs begin to hit the 20s by April, and by May it’s starting to get hot.

Rainfall is low in spring – just about 20 to 35mm per month – so you can still expect plenty of sunshine

As with anywhere, the weather averages in Athens only tell part of the story. Weather can vary year to year, especially recently. Visit in August and you might find it’s an enjoyable 30°C, or then again you could be sweltering in 45° heat. In winter, you might enjoy sunshine with temperatures in the teens, or you could find yourself at -5° in a snowstorm!

back to top