A heatwave is expected in Greece this week, which will last several days, according to the latest forecasts from the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr.
Specifically, atmospheric circulation over Europe will favor the prevalence of warm air masses over much of the European continent, including Greece, resulting in a gradual rise in temperatures to levels that are high for this time of year. The peak of the warm air mass is expected between Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20, when temperatures are likely to reach 41-42 degrees Celsius in some areas.
At the same time, based on the latest available forecast data analyzed by the FLAME fire meteorology team of the Hellenic Meteorological Service / meteo.gr, the flammability of dead forest fuels is expected to increase significantly during the same period. The reason for this increase is the gradual rise in temperature combined with the prevalence of dry conditions.
Under these conditions, dead forest fuels, especially the finer ones such as leaves, needles, small branches, and logs, release moisture into the atmosphere and dry out quickly. This makes it easier for the fuel to ignite when a heat source is present, and then for the fire to continue burning and spread rapidly.
Specifically, the forecast for the moisture content of dead forest fuel for Wednesday, August 17, is that it is expected to fall below 10% in most parts of the country. These values create favorable conditions for the occurrence and spread of forest fires.
