, with mild, moderately rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is located near the 38th parallel. It covers a wide area in the plain of Attica, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and overlooks the sea to the south.
from the Balkan Peninsula, which can bring cold and rain for some days, and sometimes even snow. Snowfalls occur more easily in the northern part of the city; at the city center, the Acropolis is whitened with snow more easily than the lower surrounding areas. A particularly abundant snowfall, which also affected the southern and coastal areas, occurred in February 2008. In that case, the temperature dropped to -4 °C (25 °F).
is hot and sunny; in fact, Athens in summer is the hottest capital of Europe. In July and August, the temperature quite easily reaches 35/36 °C (95/97 °F), but during
, it can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F). The highest record is 43 °C (109.5 °F) and was set in August 2021.
is not abundant, since it amounts to 365 millimeters (14.3 inches) per year, and follows the Mediterranean pattern, with a maximum from November to February and a minimum in summer, when clear skies prevail and there are only occasional thunderstorms.
in Athens is great in summer, when clear skies are normal, while in winter, there can be sunny days but also periods of a few days when the sky is cloudy. On average, there are almost 2,800 hours of sunshine per year, so Athens is one of the sunniest cities in Europe.
in Athens is warm enough for swimming from July to September, when the water temperature is 24/25 °C (75/77 °F); in June, it's still a bit cool, about 22 °C (72 °F).
to visit Athens are spring and autumn, especially from mid-April to late May and from mid-September to early October. By mid-October, the likelihood of rainfall increases, and sometimes it can be violent and concentrated in time. Those who can stand the heat can also choose the summer.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.9 °C, with a minimum of
6.6 °C and a maximum of
13.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.8 °C in January 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
21.9 °C in January 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
February is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.4 °C, with a minimum of
6.8 °C and a maximum of
14.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.2 °C in February 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19 °C. However, it reached
24.2 °C in February 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
9.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.6 °C, with a minimum of
8.6 °C and a maximum of
16.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-1.8 °C in March 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21.5 °C. However, it reached
27 °C in March 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
9.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.9 °C, with a minimum of
11.5 °C and a maximum of
20.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6.5 °C. However, it dropped to
1 °C in April 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25.5 °C. However, it reached
30.9 °C in April 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 58% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
8.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.5 °C, with a minimum of
15.9 °C and a maximum of
25.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
11.5 °C. However, it dropped to
8 °C in May 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31 °C. However, it reached
35.6 °C in May 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
14.3 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 20 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 58%.
The average wind speed is of
8.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
18.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
June is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
25.4 °C, with a minimum of
20.5 °C and a maximum of
30.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C. However, it dropped to
12.8 °C in June 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36.5 °C. However, it reached
41.1 °C in June 2017.
Precipitation amounts to only
5.4 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 50 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 76% of the time.
The average humidity is 52%.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
21.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
July is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
28.3 °C, with a minimum of
23.4 °C and a maximum of
33.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C. However, it dropped to
16.8 °C in July 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37.5 °C. However, it reached
41.2 °C in July 2007.
Precipitation amounts to only
6.3 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 11.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 81% of the time.
The average humidity is 46%.
The average wind speed is of
11.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
24.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
28.5 °C, with a minimum of
23.6 °C and a maximum of
33.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C. However, it dropped to
17.2 °C in August 2009.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38 °C. However, it reached
40.2 °C in August 1999.
Precipitation amounts to only
6.2 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 81% of the time.
The average humidity is 46%.
The average wind speed is of
11.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
September is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24.4 °C, with a minimum of
20 °C and a maximum of
28.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15.5 °C. However, it dropped to
11.8 °C in September 2009.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
37 °C in September 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
12.3 mm, distributed over 3 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 74% of the time.
The average humidity is 54%.
The average wind speed is of
9.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
24.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.9 °C, with a minimum of
15.9 °C and a maximum of
23.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
5.4 °C in October 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
29 °C. However, it reached
33.8 °C in October 1991.
Precipitation amounts to
45 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 60% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
8.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
November is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.3 °C, with a minimum of
11.9 °C and a maximum of
18.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6.5 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in November 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24 °C. However, it reached
26 °C in November 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
8.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
December is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.6 °C, with a minimum of
8.5 °C and a maximum of
14.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in December 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19.5 °C. However, it reached
22.4 °C in December 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 35 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.