The start of May has brought unusual temperatures at either ends of Europe as snow was reported in Greece amid balmy conditions in Germany.
Meteorologists in Greek media on Sunday said a “cold air invasion” was creating wintry conditions in many parts of the country, instead of the usual spring-like temperatures at this time of the year.
Heavy rainfall and stormy winds – particularly in the Aegean, with gusts of up to 88 kilometres per hour – have provided the coldest start to May in decades, meteorologist Anastasia Tyraski said on Greek radio.
Snow fell in the mountains around Athens, on the Peloponnese and also on Crete, with hail in some places, reporters said.
Tourists taken by surprise
The low temperatures took many tourists by surprise, as they expected early summer weather.
“It’s much colder than back home,” a holidaymaker from Norway said on Greek television.
The Cretan news portal neakriti.gr also published videos and photos of hail, as well as lightning and thunder, in the area around the port city of Heraklion.
For Greek farmers, however, the weather also has its positive sides: Following a long period of drought, the rain and snowfall are welcome, and many reservoirs have filled up again, as representatives of agricultural associations explained.
Meteorologists say the cold spell will be short-lived, and from Monday, the weather is set to warm significantly. Temperatures will rise noticeably over the course of the week and could reach over 27 degrees Celsius in some places in a rapid return to spring.
Germany sees hot spell
While Greeks have shivered, central Europe has seen an unusually early heat wave, with temperatures in the high 20s in Prague and Warsaw.
In eastern Germany, temperatures could reach 31 degrees on Sunday.
The German Weather Service said this would be a new record for May 3, beating the 29.7 degrees set in 2001.