Thursday’s gale-force winds are expected to peak on Friday reaching up to 9 Beaufort, compounding the risk of wildfires, said the Civil Protection agency’s risk assessment committee which convened on Thursday.
According to the panel, the strongest gusts are forecast in eastern and southern Attica and southern Evia, where they will locally reach 9 Beaufort. In Thrace, northerly winds will reach 6 to 7 Beaufort, while over the North and East Aegean islands they will reach 7 to 8 and locally 9 Beaufort. In the Central Aegean and Cyclades, winds will reach 7 to 8 and locally 9 Beaufort. In Crete, winds will remain between 5 to 7 Beaufort, while northwesterly winds of 6 to 7 Beaufort are forecast in the Dodecanese.
The strong winds will persist on Saturday, reaching 5 to 7 Beaufort in Thrace and the eastern and southern Peloponnese, and 6 to 8 Beaufort over the North and East Aegean islands. In the regions of Attica, Viotia and Evia, winds will reach 6 to 7 Beaufort, while the Central Aegean, winds will reach 7 to 8 Beaufort and temporarily 9 Beaufort locally, while in the Cyclades they will reach 6 to 8 Beaufort and locally 9 Beaufort, mainly in the north.
Winds are expected to weaken on Sunday, although in the eastern and southern parts of the country they will continue to reach 6 to 7 Beaufort during the early hours of the day.
