Crete to see rising temperatures from Wednesday, sharper heat from Friday, meteorologist says
Temperatures across Crete are set to rise starting Wednesday, August 19, with a sharper increase expected from Friday onward, meteorologist Michalis Karakatsanis told cretaone.gr. He said current forecast data point to a “warm air mass” moving in, but that it is still too early to describe the pattern as a heatwave, since the intensity and duration of the phenomenon still need to become clearer.
According to Karakatsanis, temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday will reach levels that are high for the season, while increased relative humidity will make the heat feel more intense than the thermometer readings suggest. From Friday, he said, temperatures will climb further, with warm conditions persisting at least until the middle of next week.
“The weather pattern appears to be turning over the coming days, with a warm air mass,” Karakatsanis said, adding that it would affect both mainland Greece and Crete. He was careful to qualify the forecast: “The only certainty is that we can talk about a warm intrusion, meaning a rise in temperature. But no, we cannot yet speak of heatwave conditions, at least not for now.”
In Crete’s urban centers, maximum temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday are expected to reach 30-31°C. In inland areas and particularly in the island’s southernmost parts, the mercury is forecast to climb to 34-35°C.
Humidity to intensify the sense of heat
A notable feature of the weather today and tomorrow will be elevated relative humidity, Karakatsanis explained. This will push up the discomfort index, making the heat feel more intense than the actual temperature reading. “We will also have high levels of relative humidity. This means the discomfort index will rise, making the sense of heat more pronounced,” he said, adding that similar conditions are expected on Thursday.
The meltemi winds, meanwhile, are expected to weaken. On Wednesday, winds are not expected to exceed 3-4 Beaufort, with the strongest gusts confined to the eastern sea areas; elsewhere, average wind speeds will range from 2-3 Beaufort. A similar pattern is expected on Thursday, with northerly winds reaching 3-4 Beaufort mainly in the southern and southeastern sea areas. According to Karakatsanis, this weakening of the winds will make the high temperatures more noticeably felt.
Attention turns to Friday
The bigger question, Karakatsanis said, concerns how the weather develops from Friday onward. “All the data show a further rise in temperature,” he said, noting that some areas of mainland Greece could see heatwave conditions. For Crete, however, the picture is expected to differ, since the meltemi — which is not expected to exceed 4 Beaufort — is likely to act as a limiting factor on extreme temperatures. “For Crete again, this meltemi that won’t exceed an intensity of four Beaufort will help the situation, so that based on the data we currently have, we won’t see extreme values,” he said.
Despite the absence so far of extreme temperatures comparable to other parts of the country, heat is expected to intensify from Friday. The warm spell is forecast to peak between August 22 and 25, when the highest temperatures are expected. “Based on the data we currently have, the heat will be intense from Friday onward and appears likely to last into the first days of next week,” Karakatsanis said, adding: “We will have heat, quite a lot of heat,” though the exact evolution will become clearer in the coming days.
Night-time temperatures are also expected to remain elevated, according to Karakatsanis, who said they are not likely to fall below 26-27°C. Combined with the increased humidity, this is expected to make evenings particularly warm.
Whether the warm spell develops into an official heatwave, and for how long, remains an open question. “For the term heatwave, very specific conditions need to prevail,” Karakatsanis stressed, noting that upcoming forecast data will clarify the exact intensity and duration of the warm intrusion. For now, the outlook for Crete points to a gradual rise in temperature from Wednesday, high values on Thursday, and a further intensification of the heat from Friday, with elevated humidity and warm nights expected to make conditions feel even more intense. Readers can check the latest Crete forecast for updates as the pattern develops.
The rising heat also comes as authorities have repeatedly placed Crete under a “Red Code” fire risk warning this summer, reflecting the dry and hot conditions affecting the island.
