Greece has become a climate change hot spot, with average temperatures rising by about 1.5°C over the last 30 years, according to a recent study by the METEO unit of the National Observatory of Athens. The study analyzed trends in temperature, precipitation, and sea temperature using data from the European Copernicus service. The temperature increase is particularly pronounced in northern Greece, especially in areas that are quite distant from the sea.
On average, Greece’s temperature has increased by about 0.05°C per year. In northern Greece, the temperature has risen by about 0.07°C per year, indicating an increase of more than 2°C over the past 30 years. Southern Greece, including Crete, has experienced a less drastic increase.
Dr. Kostas Lagouvardos, the lead author and research director at the National Observatory of Athens, described the rapid climate warming in northern Greece as “a small surprise.” He noted, “Our recent measurements with a dense network of stations showed temperatures significantly higher than usual for northern Greece.
While northern Greece has experienced a faster rate of warming, it is not overall warmer than southern Greece. In comparing this period (1991-2020) to global and European trends, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by about 0.6 to 0.8°C, while Europe has warmed by 1.2°C.
Greece experiencing rapid climate warming
Lagouvardos pointed out, “All of Europe is warming, but at different rates. The Balkans and southeastern Europe are warming more.” He added, “Greece, along with other Balkan and southeastern European countries, is a hotspot for climate change.”
The study also found a significant reduction in frost days nationwide, with the greatest reduction being in northwest mainland Greece.
Additionally, sea surface temperatures have increased by 1.5°C, with the most significant rises in the northern Aegean, the Ionian, and the region of Crete. The study identified a stabilization in annual rainfall and drought periods over the last 30 years, but there has been an increase in heavy precipitation days, estimated at nine to ten days over this period. This increasing trend correlates with more frequent flood events.
However, in some areas, such as central Thessaly, the eastern Peloponnese, and parts of Crete, there has been a decrease in the number of days with rainfall. Although the study covers up to 2020, preliminary data for the last four years suggest that high temperatures and significant climate warming in northern Greece continue. “Initial data from the past four years show that this trend persists.
Northern Greece still exhibits notable deviations from normal temperature values compared to southern Greece,” Lagouvardos observed.
