Greece is set for an unseasonably warm and sunny start to the week, with temperatures rising well above seasonal norms before a marked deterioration in weather conditions around May Day, according to state broadcaster ERT.
Monday is expected to be the hottest day of April so far, with highs of 25 to 26 degrees Celsius across most of the country and local peaks of 27 to 28 degrees.
The highest temperatures will be recorded in Thessaly, eastern Central Greece, the southern and eastern Peloponnese and parts of Macedonia, with some inland areas potentially exceeding these values.
Unsettled weather will persist only in the southern Aegean, particularly Crete and the Dodecanese, where a slow-moving low-pressure system is producing local showers and isolated thunderstorms, mainly in the morning before gradually improving.
Elsewhere, skies will remain mostly clear, with brief afternoon cloud over mountainous areas. Winds may reach 6 to 7 Beaufort in parts of the southern Cretan Sea.
In Athens, conditions will be mostly sunny with highs around 26 degrees Celsius, while Thessaloniki will see clear skies and temperatures near 25 degrees.
From midweek, increasing instability is expected in the afternoons over inland areas.
A more significant change is forecast from Thursday, as colder air masses move in from northeastern Europe, bringing rain and a sharp temperature drop by May Day, potentially affecting much of the country, including Athens.