Searing heat in 2024 raises alarms

As 2024 nears its end, Greece is poised to record its hottest year in history, surpassing the scorching records set in 2023. This relentless escalation in temperatures vividly illustrates the growing impact of climate change on the region's weather patterns.

Preliminary data reveal that 78% of 2024's days - 272 out of 348 through mid-December - experienced above-average temperatures.

"Although the year has not ended and we have not processed all the data, with the information available so far, it is very likely that 2024 will be the warmest year in our country," says Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory of Athens. He adds, "Already, by mid-December, 78% of the days in the year had temperatures higher than the climatic averages."

The year included Greece's hottest winter and summer in decades, with some months showing deviations up...