Visibility

Sunny skies are expected on Wednesday, New Year's Day, across Greece, with the only exception being a few clouds over Crete, where visibility will be locally limited in the morning and evening hours, with fog expected to form.

Air pollution continues to claim thousands of lives annually in Europe, with Greece seeing 10,700 premature deaths linked to airborne particulate matter, according to the European Environment Agency's annual report. 

More specifically, the report highlights that 239,000 Europeans died in 2022 due to suspended particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone exposure. 

An "exceptional" dust cloud from the Sahara is choking parts of Europe, the continent's climate monitor said yesterday, causing poor air quality and coating windows and cars in grime.

Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said the latest plume, the third of its kind in recent weeks, was bringing hazy conditions to southern Europe and would sweep northward as far as Scandinavia.

The highest concentrations of African dust were recorded in southern Greece on Thursday, according to the National Observatory of Athens. 

The concentrations of PM10 particles exceeded 180 μg/m³ at noon and then gradually started decreasing. 

Swathes of Greece were shrouded in haze on Wednesday as persistent southerly winds carried waves of dust from the African continent across the eastern Mediterranean. The phenomenon is expected to persist on Thursday.

Locally limited visibility and fog at night and early morning in continental areas

Only 10 countries and territories out of 134 achieved the World Health Organization's standards for a pervasive form of air pollution last year, according to air quality data compiled by IQAir, a Swiss company.

Several parts of Türkiye are currently under the influence of radiation fog induced by high pressure, an expert has said, warning that the effect of this veil curtailing visibility will prevail for an extended period.

Air pollution on the islands is at low levels compared to mainland Greece.

Copenhagen – Slovenia’s capital has placed 279th among 344 European cities in the European city air quality viewer with its air quality categorised as poor. Maribor ranks 207th having moderately clean air.