The Weather in Greece

In short...

From May through October, Greece is great for sailing, swimming, and suntanning! That's mostly what you need to know, but for those of you who like to be more specific, here's some more information and links:

Sailing season

The sailing season goes from April into early November. As a general rule, the wind strength increases during this period. At least, it's fair to say that the wind will blow more forcefully from July - October than in the period April - June.

The conditions vary significally in the different regions. The Saronic Gulf and Ionian Isles are ideal for smooth sailing, while the Cycladic and Dodecanese are more suitable for crews who enjoy a somewhat more challenging trip.

The meltemi

Meltemi is the Greek name for the strong, northerly wind that often occurs in these waters. You're most likely to encounter it around the Cycladic and Dodecanese Isles in July and August. Once it has started, it usually blows from 3-5 days, reaching a strength of 6-8 on the Beaufort scale. It will often die down at nightfall, and return at dawn.

It is a warm wind, usually blowing out of a sunny sky. A sporting crew will find it excellent for some real sailing, especially as long as you're not going right up North, while others may find the more sheltered waters of the Saronic Gulf more tempting. It's a matter of preferences.

Some statistics

You should never expect your own vacation to adhere to any statistical rules - especially in Greece! Still, this will give you the general idea...

Weather and temperature

Temperature is given in degrees Celsius. The definition of "sunny" days is days with no rainfall.

Wind

Typical direction and strength according to the Beaufort scale.

Weather forecasts

Do you want to know the weather right now and the days ahead? No sweat! Here is the current weather for islands in all the Greek sailing areas (click for 3 day forecast):

Weather, wind and temperatures		Area
		Athens/ Saronic Gulf
		Ionian Islands
		Cyclades
		Dodecanese
		Sporades
Temperature Map
Wind Map

Here are forecasts for 5 days from an alternative source:

• The Saronic Gulf: Athens and Pireus (note that due to the inland mountains Athens is often partly cloudy even if there is bright sunshine in the gulf and islands such as Aegina, Poros and Hydra)
• The Argolic Gulf: Argostolion
• The Cyclades: Myconos, Naxos and Santorini
• The Sporades: Skiathos and Skiros
• The Dodecanese: Rhodes and Kos
• The Ionian islands: Corfu (Kerkira) and Zakyntos
• The North-East Aegean: Samos
• The Northern Aegean: Thessaloniki and Limnos
• Crete: Iraklion

Most of these areas are small enough so that checking one weather station will do nicely!

Marine weather forecasts

The links above will provide you with the landlubbers view. We sailors need more, especially in Greece, because you know the sun is going to shine! What we need is wind speed and wave height, period, and direction - and especially racers are always keen on surface pressure map models so they can do their own forecasting.

So if your questions are how much (or little) will it blow, and will this give us a bumpy ride, you'll find the answers here and here!

On location

So how do you find out about the weather when you are there, instead of finding yourself caught in a force 9, soaking wet? Techno freaks could check the links above with their laptop and mobile hookup. The rest: Well, you could listen in on Hellas Radio on the VHF. But since it's in Greek, chances are you'd still be facing that storm. Actually, that's a bit unfair, because they do have the courtesy of giving gale warnings in English.

The port police get the weather forecasts for their area 4 times a day, so you can always check with them for the latest update.

Many of the charter boats are equipped with Navtex instruments, especially the larger ones from 45 ft and up. With this, you get the weather forecast 24 hours a day, so there is no excuse for not being informed. If you don't have one of these on board, chances are one of the boats closest to you in port will have.

Finally, there is always the local fishermen. If they go out in their tiny boats, there's probably no reason why you should not, in your much larger and safer sailboat. And if they stay in, it'll probably get bumpy out there. With a little bit of creativity, you will even be able to communicate enough with them to get the general idea. But if the meltemi's blowing, the truth is no one will be able to tell you for how long it will keep on blowing. Anyone can guess, though!

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