Good morning all -hic- I wish a happy new year to everyone! May 2005 keep
our interest in weather high :-) erm, not just May, all 12 months :-) -hic!

I thought I should post some weather features of 2004 as Greece experienced
it. I've taken the boring interludes out ofcourse, this is not a yearly
bulletin. I hope it's of interest to some. Pictures are available for some
events.

January
______

A low from the NW brings severe snowfalls for much of the northwest of the
country on Jan 10th. 50 cm accumulated in Florina until the evening; 35 cm
in Kastoria; 15 cm in Naousa. Much of central continental Greece lies under
a snow cover. Temperatures down to -12C in the north of the country. In the
meanwhile, heavy downpours of rain bring 100 mm in downtown Athens and 77.3
mm in the SE suburbs on a single day.
Freezing rain in western Macedonia on the 13th.

Explosive cyclogenesis takes place over the Aegean on Jan 22nd:

211200z: http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive...2004012112.gif
220000z: http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive...2004012200.gif
221200z: http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive...2004012212.gif

Heavy snowfalls affect the northwest of the country and the northern and
eastern
Aegean isles. Athens reports intense thunderstorms and hail. Rainfall
intensity reaches 385.1 mm/h at this site, while rain turns to snow with
only light accumulations by noon.

Lying hail at this site: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/hail4.jpg

The island of Limnos in the northern Aegean declares a state of emergency on
Jan 23rd, as half a metre of snow lies on the beaches. Severe gale winds
destroy the island's power distribution network; a woman freezes to death in
her house; average wind speed reaches 182 kph close to the island; peak
gusts just over 200 kph (new national record).

Kapandriti, N. Attica: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/CIMG0167.jpg
Anogeia, Crete: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/anogeia.jpg
Kamariotis, Crete: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/kamarioths.jpg

Most of Greece in sub freezing temperatures on Jan 23rd and 24th, with
temperatures as low as -14C in Florina and -9C in the NE suburbs of Athens.


February
_______

Temperatures reach a balmy +25C at Trikala on the 6th (new record).

Lying snow in the low lying cities of western Greece on Feb 12th and 13th
for the first time since March 1987 (the western coasts are hardly ever
snowy because of the Pindus mountain range).

Ice day for most in Athens after the blizzards (heavy snowfalls and blowing
snow) of Feb 13/14th. Temperatures drop to -10.1C in the NE suburbs
and -3.8C in the coastal suburbs. Snow accumulations vary between 15 cm and
140 cm in and around Athens -drifting higher. The international airport
remains closed on Feb 13th -and so do 13 more regional airports.

Too many pictures in my folder for February here, I really don't know which
ones to choose. Here's a sample. All taken from downtown Athens and the
airport:

http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/aia1.jpg
http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/aia2.jpg

ancient forum: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/agora.jpg
part of the Acropolis: http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/acropolis6.jpg
Daskaleio, Euobean gulf, E. Attica, 5 days later:
http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/daskaleio.jpg

Lying snow at the isle of Gavdos (southernmost tip of Europe) on Feb 14th.

New round of snowfalls for much of northern Greece on Feb 16th. 10 cm of
fresh snow comes to add itself up to the existing snow in the northernmost
suburbs of Athens on Feb 17th.

Mild end of the month with dust rain in many areas of central and southern
Greece.


March
____

A generally dry month around the country.
Heavy snowfalls again in the NE of the country and northern Attica on March
5th. More snow in the NW on March 8th. Temperatures don't drop below -6C
there.

Dense fog for a few consecutive days around March 20th causes some
disruption.

Southerlies associated with dust rain over most of the country and Fohn
effects in the lee sides of mountainous areas on March 27-28th. +26.4C at
Irakleio (AP), on March 28th with dust load over Greece being counted in
thousands of mgr/m2.


April
___

Generally dry and uneventful month in central Greece.

Greece is warming up: +25.6C at Lamia on April 8th. Thessaloniki (AP) makes
it to +22.6C on the same day, leaving Athens behind temperature wise.
Fohn effect and very high temperatures in northern Crete on April 10th, 11th
and 12th: Irakleio reaches a scorching +28.2?C.
Very high dew point depressions at many locations on April 12th and 13th:
40C at Irakleio, Crete, 27C in SE Athens.


May
___

Generally unsettled on May 1st and 2nd over most of continental Greece with
lots of rainfalls.

Destructions in the greater Kalamata area on May 5th because of the sea
waves that made it into the shops. Too much Saharan dust gives a fine
yellowish colour to the skies of Athens on May 5th, especially after the
heavy evening showers.

Funnel cloud observed over Irakleio during the morning of May 19th.

A Balkan front causes temperatures to drop significantly during May 24th:
LGKZ 240800Z 36012KT 9999 FEW004 SCT015 BKN070 17/11 Q1013
LGKZ 240900Z 36014KT 6000 FEW004 SCT015 OVC070 09/06 Q1014 =
LGKZ 241000Z 36014KT 7000 SCT002 BKN020 08/07 Q1014 =
while, at the same time, southern parts of the country get abundant sunshine
and temperatures reach +29?C at Chania. New snow accumulates on mountainous
areas of northwestern Greece, while temperature at Kato Nevrokopi, Drama,
plummets to -2?C.


June
____

Numerous thunderstorms around the country, especially during June 1-8th and
June 17-23rd. Damages caused by the June 5th TS in Volos and in Pieria (June
17th).


July
___

High temperatures around continental Greece on July 10-11th. Larisa warms up
to +39C, while Athens reaches +39.9C (up to +41C in the western suburbs).

A woman is killed in Thermi, central Macedonia, when struck by lightning.

Tornado hits Epirus during a thunderstorm on July 26th.


August
______

Widespread thunderstorms around central, eastern Macedonia, Thessaly, Thrace
and the northern Sporades during the night of August 9/10th.

Temperature reaches 39C at Elefsina on Aug 22nd.


September
_________

Severe thunderstorm hits the city of Thessaloniki during the evening of Sep
17th. Many damages are reported; 27 mm at Mikra, ~60 mm at the city centre,
~80 mm at Kalamaria.

Hot and humid spell for much of Greece, including Athens, from Sep
23rd-28th. Temperatures reach +34C at Kastelli, Chania.

Otherwise a rather uneventful month with plenty of thunderstorms in the
north and northwest parts of the country.


October
______

The word "snow" is added to the official HNMS forecasts for the first time
in the text referring to Oct 12th.
And, indeed, it does snow over mountainous areas of northern Greece,
including the snow-wise notorious K. Nevrokopi area, on Oct 12th.

Heavy thunderstorm hits Athens during the evening of October 12th. Peak
rainfall intensity reaches 221.7 mm/h at this site. Daily accumulations are
not too high (mostly between 10-25 mm) because of the small duration of the
otherwise fierceful thunderstorm.

Heavy thunderstorms hit Ileia, in the western Peloponnese, on Oct 15th.
Numerous damages and flash floods reported.

Fohn effect in northern Crete on Oct 17-18th. Temperatures easily exceed
+32C around Irakleio and elsewhere.

A very heavy thunderstorm hits my part of the city with frequent c-g
lightning on Oct 28th, right before dawn:

http://www.e-kairos.com/usw/ts.jpg

Otherwise a generally dull and mild month.


November
________

Intense thunderstorm hits Athens during the night of November 7th/8th. The
western suburbs are worst hit: 118.9 mm at Nikaia

Chania reports sand storms on November 14th.
(pic sent recently to usw)

Two consecutive cold waves bring the season's first snow days around Athens
(Nov 21st in northern Attica; snow flurries reported even in downtown Athens
on Nov 25th). Snow accumulations are generally light.

A generally mild and humid period until the 20th, especially in central and
southern Greece.


December
________

Snow starts to fall throughout western Macedonia during the evening of
December 20th. Snow is lying for a few days thereafter throughout western
Macedonia and mountainous and semi-mountainous areas of northern and central
Greece. Accumulations reach 20 cm in the town of Florina. No major
disruptions reported.

An extremely dry start into December with no significant precipitation until
the middle of the month.

Intense thunderstorms and heavy downpours of rainfall strike Athens on
December 18th and 19th. Hail accumulates at Aegaleo for many hours and
floats in deep rainfall generated rivers.

Wet during the last 10 days of the month with plenty of snowfalls but only
on mountainous areas and low lying areas of Macedonia and Thrace mainly
(snow pics sent very recently).

That's all for now. I hope the ones who read the whole post were not too
bored. SE Athens statistics will be posted too. Happy New Year all!

Yannis, SE Athens
-hic-
+5.9C, RH 86% -hic-
SLP 1022.3 hPa

"Yannis" wrote in message


I thought I should post some weather features of 2004 as Greece experienced
it. I've taken the boring interludes out ofcourse, this is not a yearly
bulletin. I hope it's of interest to some. Pictures are available for some
events.

Good idea -others please note. More please.


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