Saturday weather: up to 36°C and Red Code in six regions

The National Meteorological Service (EMY) forecast clear weather for most of the country on Saturday, 5 September 2026, with temperatures rising to quite high levels for the season. According to the weather bulletin, the maximum temperature was expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius in western and central mainland Greece, around 35 degrees in Attica and approximately 34 degrees in Thessaloniki. In the Cyclades, the temperature was expected to be lower, around 29 degrees, due to the effect of winds in the Aegean. These temperatures remain quite high for early September, maintaining summer-like conditions across much of mainland Greece.

In the Aegean, winds were expected to blow with intensity up to 7 Beaufort, creating difficult conditions for navigation in some areas. In the morning, locally reduced visibility was expected in areas of western Greece, while increased dust concentrations were forecast above the Aegean and Crete. These conditions, in combination with high temperatures, created an unfavourable scenario regarding the risk of fire outbreaks in several regions of the country during Saturday. The EMY did not forecast rainfall or a significant temperature drop for the coming hours, so conditions of increased risk were expected to persist until evening.

In this context, the “Red Code” — fire risk category 4, the highest on the scale — was activated for Saturday, 5 September in six regions: Attica, Euboea, Crete, Chios, Ikaria and Cyclades. Civil Protection was placed on full alert, with air surveillance of high-risk areas and mixed patrols of foot and vehicle units in forest and semi-urban zones. Citizens were urged to immediately call 199 if they spotted a fire source, to ensure the fastest possible intervention by the responsible services. The six regions classified in the highest risk category cover both mainland and island areas, a fact that reflects the extent of the phenomenon at national level for that particular day.

The classification of a region in risk category 4 activates, within the framework of established Civil Protection planning, the familiar array of preventive measures applied nationwide in similar cases, such as the prohibition of outdoor fires and activities that can cause sparks in forest and agricultural areas. This is not a special new announcement, but the application of the standing framework that applies each time a “Red Code” is declared. Authorities recommended increased vigilance in all high-risk areas, especially during hours of high temperatures, in the context of the general weather-related developments.