January 2023 was one of the warmest on record for the greater part of Greece, according to data collected by the 53 weather stations of the National Observatory of Athens weather service meteo.gr.
In an announcement on Thursday, meteo.gr said that the average maximum temperature in January 2023 was the highest of the last 14 years in northern Greece, Thessaly, the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands (except Crete), while it was the second highest after January 2014 for Western Greece and January 2021 for central Greece and Crete.
For northern Greece and Thessaly, January 2023 also had the largest number of days that were warmer than the average for 2010-2019, with 29 of the 31 days being warmer than the average for the decade in Makrochori, Evia, and 28 out of 31 in Trikala and Dion.
In Athens, the average deviation of the month from the decade average in January 2023 was +1.8C, with 25 of 31 days being warmer than normal for the season.
Thessaloniki had the warmest January since 2010, with the average deviation at 3.6C and 24 out of 31 days being warmer than normal for the season.
None of the weather stations recorded a negative monthly deviation in temperature or colder than usual temperatures for the time of year.
Warm Halcyon days in January in Greece
Greece is reputed to have almost 300 days of sunshine a year, even during the winter when the unique phenomenon of the Halcyon Days, aka Alkyonides Days, takes place, creating a mini summer break amidst the winter.
The phrase, translated into “Halcyon days” in English, has a literal meaning of calm, peaceful days. It is the translation of ‘Alkyonides Meres.’
The Alkyonides Days take place from around December 15th to February 15th each year. During this time, the days are typically sunny, with clear skies and no wind. High temperatures are not typical for the season.
During Alkyionides Days, in the midst of winter, temperatures that climb up to over 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) are typical.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
