WIND

Clear with a few occasional clouds in the midday and afternoon hours in the mountains of the northwest weather is expected for today, Sunday. Winds will blow from northerly directions 4 to 6 and locally in the Aegean Sea 7 Beaufort. The temperature will rise slightly further, reaching 36 to 37 degrees Celsius on the mainland and 38 degrees Celsius in some places in the west.

The change in weather brought yesterday by unstable air masses from the northwestern Balkans with heavy rains and thunderstorms accompanied by a high frequency of lightning and local hailstorms, led the Civil Protection to issue on Wednesday afternoon a 112 warning message for severe weather in the areas of Thessaloniki, Pieria, Halkidiki and Kavala.

Following a prolonged heatwave, Greece is set to face bad weather from today, with the weather deteriorating significantly in certain geographical areas. Heavy rain, thunderstorms and hailstorms will be the main features of the weather, according to the National Meteorological Service (EMY), which has issued an emergency weather bulletin.

In particular,

Türkiye is grappling with blistering heat waves as temperatures soar above seasonal norms, heightening the risk of forest fires especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions.

While the increasing temperatures and persistent strong winds are contributing factors, the recent fires in the region indicate that human activity is the primary cause.

Overnight across Bulgaria, skies will generally be clear with light to moderate south-southeasterly winds prevailing, except for North-Eastern Bulgaria where occasional cloud cover and brief rain showers are expected.

A yellow alert for high temperatures has been issued across most of Bulgaria, as indicated on the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology website. Only the regions of Sliven, Targovishte, Razgrad, Dobrich, Varna, Shumen, and Burgas are exempt from the extreme heat warning.

The weather will remain a fire hazard today as winds will reach as high as 8 Beaufort.

The upcoming weekend will see temperatures soaring to 35-36 degrees, offering sunny and warm weather without any precipitation. On St. Peter's Day, Saturday, a cool north-easterly wind will persist, particularly noticeable along the coast and in the southeast. There will be temporary cloudiness in the afternoon, with minor local showers possible in the mountainous regions.

With a strong wind in the Aegean Sea, today’s day will roll on – at 6 to 7 Beaufort – according to ERT meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos. There will be a few showers mainly in the mountains in Macedonia, while thunderstorms will be in the north Thursday and Friday