Geology[edit]
Athens sprawls across the central plain of Attica that is often referred to as the Athens or Attica Basin (Greek: Λεκανοπέδιο Αττικής). The basin is bounded by four large mountains: Mount Aigaleo to the west, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pentelicus to the northeast and Mount Hymettus to the east.[31] Beyond Mount Aegaleo lies the Thriasian plain, which forms an extension of the central plain to the west. The Saronic Gulf lies to the southwest. Mount Parnitha is the tallest of the four mountains (1,413 m (4,636 ft)),[32] and has been declared a national park.
Athens is built around a number of hills. Lycabettus is one of the tallest hills of the city proper and provides a view of the entire Attica Basin. The geomorphology of Athens is deemed to be one of the most complex in the world because its mountains cause a temperature inversion phenomenon which, along with the Greek Government's difficulties controlling industrial pollution, was responsible for the air pollution problems the city has faced.[27] This issue is not unique to Athens; for instance, Los Angeles and Mexico City also suffer from similar geomorphology inversion problems.[27]
Climate[edit]
Athens has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The dominant feature of Athens's climate is alternation between prolonged hot and dry summers and mild winters with moderate rainfall.[33] With an average of 414.1 millimetres (16.30 in) of yearly precipitation, rainfall occurs largely between the months of October and April. July and August are the driest months, where thunderstorms occur sparsely once or twice a month. Winters are mild and rainy, with a January average of near 10 °C (50 °F); Snowfall is infrequent but can cause disruption when it occurs. Snowfalls are more frequent in the northern suburbs of the city.[34]
The annual precipitation of Athens is typically lower than in other parts of Greece, mainly in western Greece. As an example, Ioannina receives around 1,300 mm (51 in) per year, and Agrinio around 800 mm (31 in) per year. Daily average highs for July (1986–2015) have been measured at 34 °C (93 °F),[35] but some parts of the city may be even warmer, in particular its western areas partly because of industrialization and partly because of a number of natural factors, knowledge of which has been available from the mid-19th century.[36][37][38] Temperatures often surpass 38 °C (100 °F) during the city's notorious heatwaves.[31][39]
Athens is affected by the urban heat island effect in some areas which is caused by human activity,[40][41] altering its temperatures compared to the surrounding rural areas,[42][43][44][45] and bearing detrimental effects on energy usage, expenditure for cooling,[46][47] and health.[41] The urban heat island of the city has also been found to be partially responsible for alterations of the climatological temperature time-series of specific Athens meteorological stations, because of its impact on the temperatures and the temperature trends recorded by some meteorological stations.[48][49][50][51][52] On the other hand, specific meteorological stations, such as the National Garden station and Thiseio meteorological station, are less affected or do not experience the urban heat island.[42][53]
Athens holds the World Meteorological Organization record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe, at 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), which was recorded in the Elefsina and Tatoi suburbs of Athens on 10 July 1977.[54]
| [hide]Climate data for Elliniko, Athens (rain data for Nea Filadelfeia, Athens) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) | 13.9 (57) | 16.6 (61.9) | 20.0 (68) | 25.2 (77.4) | 30.4 (86.7) | 33.4 (92.1) | 33.7 (92.7) | 28.7 (83.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 18.8 (65.8) | 14.7 (58.5) | 22.7 (72.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 9.9 (49.8) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.7 (60.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.5 (77.9) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.6 (83.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 19.5 (67.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 18.5 (65.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) | 6.8 (44.2) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.7 (53.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 20.6 (69.1) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.8 (74.8) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.9 (60.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 8.8 (47.8) | 14.5 (58.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 56.9 (2.24) | 46.7 (1.839) | 40.7 (1.602) | 30.8 (1.213) | 22.7 (0.894) | 10.6 (0.417) | 5.8 (0.228) | 6.0 (0.236) | 13.9 (0.547) | 52.6 (2.071) | 58.3 (2.295) | 69.1 (2.72) | 414.1 (16.303) |
| Average rainy days | 12.6 | 10.4 | 10.2 | 8.1 | 6.2 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 9.7 | 12.1 | 87.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70.7 | 68.9 | 67.0 | 62.9 | 59.5 | 52.6 | 48.7 | 47.6 | 57.2 | 64.6 | 71.9 | 71.8 | 62.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 158.1 | 168.0 | 189.1 | 225.0 | 303.8 | 360.0 | 384.4 | 359.6 | 252.0 | 198.4 | 144.0 | 105.4 | 2,847.8 |
| Source: Climatebase (temperatures, RH, and sun 1980–2000)[55] World Meteorological Organization (precipitation 1955–1997),[56] | |||||||||||||
| [hide]Climate data for Downtown Athens (1987–2016). Extremes from 1890 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) | 25.3 (77.5) | 28.9 (84) | 32.2 (90) | 36.7 (98.1) | 44.8 (112.6) | 43.0 (109.4) | 42.6 (108.7) | 38.6 (101.5) | 36.5 (97.7) | 30.5 (86.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 44.8 (112.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.3 (57.7) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.1 (70) | 26.5 (79.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.3 (93.7) | 29.7 (85.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 14.4 (57.9) | 23.31 (73.96) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 16.7 (62.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 29.3 (84.7) | 29.2 (84.6) | 25.0 (77) | 20.0 (68) | 15.3 (59.5) | 11.4 (52.5) | 19.08 (66.34) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.2 (45) | 8.9 (48) | 12.2 (54) | 16.8 (62.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.1 (75.4) | 20.3 (68.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.5 (47.3) | 14.89 (58.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.5 (20.3) | −5.7 (21.7) | −2.6 (27.3) | 1.7 (35.1) | 6.2 (43.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 16 (61) | 15.5 (59.9) | 8.9 (48) | 5.9 (42.6) | −1.1 (30) | −4 (25) | −6.5 (20.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 50.5 (1.988) | 44.6 (1.756) | 46.6 (1.835) | 28.4 (1.118) | 17.1 (0.673) | 8.7 (0.343) | 8.7 (0.343) | 5.4 (0.213) | 22.3 (0.878) | 41.9 (1.65) | 71.8 (2.827) | 73.1 (2.878) | 419.1 (16.5) |
| Source: Meteoclub.gr[35] | |||||||||||||
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