ATHENS — Mostly sunny weather and a sharp rise in temperatures, which will climb as high as 40C on the mainland, as well as conditions favouring the transfer of dust clouds from the Sahara are forecast on Wednesday. Winds light to moderate, blowing from mainly westerly and southerly directions, reaching up to 6 Beaufort at sea.

Temperatures are forecast to range from 17C to 37C in northern Greece, 20C to 38C in western Greece, from 19C to 40C on the eastern mainland and between 20C and 33C on the islands. Sunny in Attica, with temperatures between 21C and 35C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 21C to 35C.

Greece’s National Meteorological Service has forecast temperatures between 38 and 41 C (100 to 106 F) from Wednesday until Sunday, when temperatures in the north of the country are due to recede slightly. Although it is common for temperatures to hit the 40 C range in the summer in Greece, it is unseasonal to have such hot weather this early in the year.