As the summer season fast approaches, it appears Europe is already warming up, with a city in Crete to see temperatures hit a scorching 30C today, according to weather experts. WXCHARTS weather maps for Greece have turned a scorching red, indicating that the country may bask in an early spring heatwave.
According to the Met Office, Heraklion, where Crete’s airport is located, will reach a boiling 30C on Friday, and it looks like the mercury is only getting hotter, with highs of 31C forecast for Saturday. This far surpasses the average March temperature for Crete, which is a modest 17C. Typically, in March, the holiday hotspot sees pleasant weather, with holidaymakers advised to bring a light jacket for the chillier evenings and even an umbrella. But this weekend in Crete, people can dust off their summer shorts, dresses and sunglasses as forecasts indicate Heraklion will see three non-stop days of glorious sunshine.
At 11am today, the temperature will already be 27C, as we go throughout the day the weather will only get warmer with 30C expected between 3pm and 5pm, the Met Office forecast suggests.
A series of other Greek islands are also set to enjoy a mini heatwave this weekend. Rhodes is forecast to see temperatures go well into their late 20s tomorrow while Sunday the mercury will reach 25C.
The beautiful island is forecast 24C today with hours of uninterrupted sunshine.
Kos, the second most popular island of the Dodecanese, will see glorious highs of 26C tomorrow and 24C on Sunday.
It’s not just that Greece that looks set to sizzle, with Palermo, capital of the Italian island of Sicily, to see highs of 25C today and tomorrow with hours of beautiful sunshine, according to weather maps by WXCharts.
Renowned for its whitewashed hill towns, Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, is forecast highs of 24C today and into tomorrow.
Antalya, a popular Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old harbour, will see the mercury reach a sunbathe-worthy 26C today. As we go throughout the weekend the temperatures look to only keep rising with 28C forecast tomorrow and 26C on Sunday.
The Mediterranean resort town of Marmaris is forecast to see temperatures go well into their late 20s tomorrow and see highs of 25C on Sunday. Similarly, Bodrum will also bask in spring sunshine with temperatures to hit 26C tomorrow and 25C on Sunday.