Greece has experienced the hottest July since records began according to data analyzed by the scientific team at meteo.gr and the National Observatory of Athens.
Throughout July 2024, Greece experienced prolonged periods of exceptionally high temperatures, significantly surpassing seasonal norms across the country.
An analysis of average July temperatures from 1960 to 2024 indicates that July 2024 was the warmest on record for Greece, exceeding the 1991-2020 average by 2.9C and surpassing the previous record set in July 2012 by 0.3C.
Notably, the past four years have seen three of the four hottest Julys in at least the last 80 years for Greece. The average temperature for July in Greece from 1960 to 2024 has increased by 2.5C.
Sunday, July 21st the hottest day on Earth on record
Sunday, July 21st was the hottest day ever recorded worldwide, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has tracked such global weather patterns since 1940.
The global average surface air temperature that day reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit)—slightly higher than the previous record set last July of 17.08 C (62.74 F)—as heatwaves scorched large swathes of the United States, Europe and Russia.
Every month since June 2023 has now ranked as the planet’s hottest since records began, compared with the corresponding month in previous years.
Some scientists have suggested 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year since records began, as climate change and the El Nino natural weather phenomenon—which ended in April—have pushed temperatures ever higher this year.
Hottest July after hottest June in Greece
The new data confirm that Greece has experienced one of the hottest summers ever.
This year’s June in Greece was the warmest the country has experienced since 2010. According to the network of 53 meteorological stations of meteo.gr of the National Observatory of Athens (EAA), extremely high temperatures were recorded in comparison to the average of the period 2010 to 2019.
This year’s June was reportedly characterized by several consecutive days with significant positive temperature deviations, and it was by far the warmest June since 2010 throughout the country by a very wide margin.
Central Greece and the Peloponnese saw the largest positive temperature deviations with average monthly figures of up to 4.8 degrees Celsius above normal seasonal levels.
Greek scientists have warned of the dangers to human health due to the extended heat wave affecting the country. They point to the statistics of the World Health Organisation which has estimated that between 2000 and 2019, there have been approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths per year.
Another study found that the number of people exposed to conditions of extreme heat and heatwaves has increased by about 125 million between 2000 and 2016.
Related: World Recorded Hottest Day Ever
