Heavy rain and thunderstorms sweep Greece as temperatures climb

Intense rain and thunderstorms moved across mainland Greece on Friday, with the National Observatory reporting up to 63 mm of rain in Narthaki, Larissa, and widespread lightning—over 31,000 discharges recorded by Meteosat‑12. The unsettled weather was described as typical for late spring, with strong gusts reaching 4 bft and localized hail in mountainous areas.

Forecasts indicate the bulk of the rain will weaken on Saturday, leaving only isolated showers in the south‑eastern Peloponnese, eastern Macedonia and parts of Thessaly. Northern winds are expected to strengthen to 5‑7 bft, while temperatures will be near 30‑31 °C in western Greece and not exceed 29 °C elsewhere. Sunshine is set to dominate from Sunday onward, signalling a return to stable summer conditions.

Meteorologists note that while the latest storms have been vigorous, no heatwave is anticipated through early June, and the atmospheric pressure system is gradually stabilising.