Searing heat in 2024 raises alarms

As 2024 nears its end, Greece is poised to record its hottest year in history, surpassing the scorching records set in 2023. This relentless escalation in temperatures vividly illustrates the growing impact of climate change on the region’s weather patterns.
Preliminary data reveal that 78% of 2024’s days – 272 out of 348 through mid-December – experienced above-average temperatures.
“Although the year has not ended and we have not processed all the data, with the information available so far, it is very likely that 2024 will be the warmest year in our country,” says Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory of Athens. He adds, “Already, by mid-December, 78% of the days in the year had temperatures higher than the climatic averages.”
The year included Greece’s hottest winter and summer in decades, with some months showing deviations up to 4 degrees Celsius higher than historical norms. June alone exceeded average temperatures by a staggering 3.8C, while a record-breaking July registered 2.9C above its normal range. Lagouvardos underscores the trend: “The average maximum winter temperature in Greece has increased by 1.8C from 1960 to 2024. In June, the corresponding trend reaches 2.5C.”
These extremes weren’t limited to the summer months.
October’s temperatures climbed over 32C in some regions, including Thessaly and central Greece, while July saw a 16-day heatwave with nighttime lows remaining above 27C in urban areas. November offered rare relief, registering slightly cooler-than-average temperatures.
As the Copernicus Climate Change Service forecasts similarly grim global trends, Greece highlights the pressing need for climate action.
This trend of unrelenting heat, Lagouvardos warns, is reshaping ecosystems, societies, and daily life, with 2024 standing as a searing testament to the reality of a warming world.
Yiannis Elafros-Kathimerini