Athens, the capital of Greece, spreads across the plain of Attica in the southeast of the country, ringed by mountains on three sides and open to the sea to the south, near the 38th parallel at approximately 37.98°N, 23.73°E. It has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa, edging toward semi-arid) with hot, dry, brilliantly sunny summers and mild, moderately rainy winters. The surrounding mountains trap heat over the basin, making Athens one of the hottest capitals in Europe.

Summer, from June to September, is long, hot, dry and almost cloudless, with July and August the hottest months — average highs around 33–34°C and warm nights. Heatwaves push temperatures past 40°C most years, intensified by the heat-trapping basin and the dense, concrete city centre, which suffers a strong urban heat-island effect. Rain in high summer is essentially nonexistent, and the summer of 2024 was the warmest in the country's recorded history.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and the rainy season, with January the coldest month — average highs around 13°C and lows near 6–7°C. Genuine cold is rare, though clear nights can bring the temperature close to freezing and occasional cold snaps have dropped it below zero. Snow in the city is infrequent and usually light, and the mild winters make Athens comfortable for sightseeing year-round.

Athens is strikingly dry, receiving only around 365–400 mm of rain a year — among the lowest of any European capital — concentrated in the cooler months from November to February, while July and August are effectively rainless. Autumn rain, from mid-October onward, can occasionally arrive as violent, concentrated downpours. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

In summer the Etesian winds — the meltemi — often sweep down over the Aegean, offering some relief from the heat on breezy days. But the defining feature of Athens' climate is the intensity of its summer heat: its sheltered, mountain-ringed basin and heavily built-up centre combine to make it exceptionally hot and, in recent years, increasingly prone to severe heatwaves and nearby wildfires.

To follow any single measurement in Athens more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.