Climate zones in Greece, 1991 to 2020
Share of Greece's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 194,375 map cells used cover 99% of the country's outline (about 129,530 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 92%, D (cold (continental)) 6.5%, B (arid) 1.4%.
Csa, hot-summer mediterranean, is the main climate of Greece, covering 67% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Cfa (humid subtropical) next at 13%. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 25% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How Greece's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 25% | 3.1% | Cfa +6.4 percentage points | Csb -7.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 17% | 5.2% | Csa +5.3 percentage points | Csb -5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 25% | 11% | BSh +7.4 percentage points | Csb -7.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 39% | 24% | BSh +19.4 percentage points | Csb -9.4 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 66% | 67% | 72% | 73% | 71% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 6.8% | 13% | 16% | 15% | 8.3% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 17% | 9.7% | 4.7% | 2.3% | 0.2% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 1.8% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 6.1% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.4% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 2.3% | 2.1% | 0.5% | 0.1% | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | - | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.3% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | 0.1% | 1.2% | 7.5% | 20% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Greece and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Greece
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csa. See data sources and licences.