Thessaloniki Facts

 

Population

Thessaloniki is the second largest city of Greece. According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority's 2011 survey, the Regional Section of Thessaloniki contains 1.104.460 citizens, whereas municipality of Thessaloniki contains 322.240 of them.

Currency

The currency used in Greece is Euro.

Time

Greece belongs to the Eastern-European time zone and it is two hours (+2) ahead of Greenwich Time.

Language

The national official language is Greek. However most of the people speak and understand other languages like English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Weather and Climate

Thessaloniki enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with its location in northern Greece resulting in the region receiving more rain than other areas of the country, and seeing lower temperatures during the winter. Summers in Thessaloniki are generally hot and dry, and the area receives an abundance of sunshine even during the low season.

Summer
The main tourist season begins in early July, but spring sees pleasant temperatures of between 15C and 20C, and although the sun can shine up to 8 hours a day, the weather can be quite unpredictable. July and August are the hottest months, with temperatures reaching an average of 27C, and the sun shining for over 10 hours a day. The summer frequently sees highs of 30C, however these very hot days are cooled by the strong winds that blow from the north, which begin in June and start to die down in September. Thunderstorms are fairly frequent during the summer months, with July and August seeing about 4 or 5 wet days a month, and the humidity levels remaining very high.

Winter
Temperatures drop quite dramatically during the winter, which sees an average seasonal temperature of 7C paired with 3 hours of sunshine each day. The period from October to December is the wettest, with over 50mm of rain falling every month. In the mountainous regions of Thessaloniki, temperatures drop even lower and snow is not uncommon in the depths of winter.

 

See the weather forecast: http://www.meteo.gr/cf_printEN.asp?city_id=1