Athens metropolitan area explained

Athens metropolitan area
Coordinates:37.9842°N 23.7281°W
Subdivision Name:Greece
Subdivision Type1:Geographic region
Subdivision Name1:Central Greece
Subdivision Type2:Administrative region
Subdivision Name2:Attica
Subdivision Type3:Regional unit
Population As Of:2021
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Metro:3,638,281
Area Metro Km2:2929
Population Density Metro Km2:auto
Timezone1:EET
Utc Offset1:+2
Timezone1 Dst:EEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+3
Elevation Min M:0
Elevation Max M:1413
Area Code Type:Telephone
Area Code:21
Registration Plate:Yxx, Zxx, Ixx
Blank Name Sec2:Major airport(s)
Blank Info Sec2:Athens International Airport

The Athens metropolitan area (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Μητροπολιτική Περιοχή της Αθήνας) spans 2928.7170NaN0 within the Attica region and consists of 58 municipalities plus areas of East Attica and West Attica, having reached a population of 3,638,281 according to the 2021 census.[2] Municipalities of Athens and Piraeus both serve as the two metropolitan centres of the Athens metropolitan area.[3]

According to the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, the Athens metropolitan area consists of all areas with a dialing code of 21 and includes areas such as Salamina, Elefsina, Kifissia, Mandra, Aspropyrgos, Pallini, Agios Stefanos, Dionysos, Koropi, Vari, Vouliagmeni, Voula, Dafni, Chalandri and the Athens International Airport.[4] [5] [6] [7]

Administration

The Athens Urban Area, also known as Greater Athens,[8] consists of 40 municipalities, 35 of which make up what was referred to as the former Athens Prefecture municipalities, located within 4 regional units (North Athens, West Athens, Central Athens, South Athens); and a further 5 municipalities, which make up the former Piraeus Prefecture municipalities, located within the regional unit of Piraeus. The Athens Municipality forms the core and centre of Greater Athens, which in turn consists of the Athens Municipality and 40 more municipalities, divided in four regional units, accounting for 2,611,713 people (in 2021) within an area of 3610NaN0. The regional units of Central, North, South, and West Athens, Piraeus and parts of East [9] and West Attica[10] regional units combined make up the continuous Athens Urban Area. [10] [11] [12]

Climate

Due to its large area metropolitan Athens has a variety of climates. The largest part of the Athens metropolitan area has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), while some areas of the Athens Riviera, some areas of the Thriasio Plain and some areas in the west have a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh). According to the meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens and the Hellenic National Meteorological Service areas in the north have wetter and colder winters. Dionysos has a January average high of around 9°C and an average low of 4°C, while Parnitha mountain has a January average high of around 4°C and an average low below 0°C. [13] [14] [15] Areas in the south have very mild winters with Nea Smyrni recording a January average high of around 15°C and an average low of around 9°C. [16] [17]

The highest July and August temperatures are recorded in the interior of the Athens Basin and also in west areas with Nea Filadelfeia, Harokopio University and Salamina registering average summer highs of around 35°C. [18] [19] [20] Due to land breezes, summer nights can be particularly hot in the south and especially around Piraeus which records an average August low of around 27°C. [21] [22] The highest average annual temperatures are recorded in the Piraeus Port registering around 20.8°C, while the lowest is recorded in Parnitha mountain with less than 11.0°C. [23] [24] [25] Neos Kosmos is the warmest area of Downtown Athens with an average annual temperature of 20.2°C and a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh) closely bordering a hot-summer mediterranean (Csa) climate.

The lowest average annual precipitation is recorded in Piraeus and the Athens Marina with around 315 mm to 330 mm, while the highest average annual precipitation is recorded in Parnitha mountain with around 720 mm. [26] [27] [28] [29] The highest temperature ever recorded in the Athens metropolitan area was 48.0°C in Elefsina and Tatoi on July 10, 1977 which according to the World Meteorological Organization was also the highest official temperature ever recorded in Europe until 2021.[30] The lowest temperature ever recorded was -12.0°C in Parnitha mountain on January 9, 2017. [31] The highest minimum temperature of 32.9°C was recorded on July 26, 2023 in Hellinikon. [32] Furthermore, Metropolitan Athens has experienced temperatures of 47.5°C and over in four different locations.

Regarding the whole of the Attica peninsula, the lowest average annual precipitation is found in Anavysos, Athens Riviera with around 310 mm, while the highest average annual precipitation is found in Avlonas with over 940 mm. [33] Lavrio is the only area in Attica that has never recorded an air frost according to the National Observatory of Athens station which operates since 2008. [34] [35]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census 2021 . 3 January 2023.
  2. Web site: Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός - ELSTAT . 2023-06-10 . www.statistics.gr.
  3. Web site: MASTER PLAN FOR ATHENS AND ATTICA 2021, pg 13, 24, 27, 33, 36, 89. https://web.archive.org/web/20120321062128/http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UfCMqBJHswQ%3D&tabid=367&language=el-GR. 21 March 2012.
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20220124172526/https://www.eett.gr/opencms/export/sites/default/EETT/Electronic_Communications/Telecoms/Numbering/Doc_GR.pdf
  5. Web site: Κωδικοί τηλεφώνων ανά περιοχή στην Ελλάδα: Μάθετε τα πάντα . https://web.archive.org/web/20230102204923/https://skytelecom.gr/2021/01/26/kodikoi-tilefwnwn-ana-perioxi/ . 2023-01-02 . 25 January 2021 .
  6. https://www.publicissue.gr/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/image1.jpg
  7. https://www.ita.org.gr/el/images/meletes_ita/mhtropolitikh-athina.pdf
  8. Web site: Greater Athens (Greece): Municipalities – Population Statistics, Charts and Map. citypopulation.de. 2020-05-24. 3 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200503034211/https://www.citypopulation.de/php/greece-athens.php. live.
  9. Web site: Concise Statistical Yearbook of Greece 2001 page 38, National Statistical Service of Greece . 26 August 2019 . 1 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701022706/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0003_00032.pdf . live .
  10. Web site: Αttikh . Greek . EraNET . 8 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190629135655/http://www.eranet.gr/geodata/el/gcitiesp_0.html . 29 June 2019 . live.
  11. Web site: Monthly Statistical Bulletin Monthly Statistical Bulletin December 2012, Hellenic Statistical Authority, page 64 . 29 August 2019 . 13 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200713060941/http://dlib.statistics.gr/MAG/GRESYE_01_0001_00821.pdf . live .
  12. Web site: Statistical Yearbook of Greece 2001 page 72, National Statistical Service of Greece . 8 August 2019 . 1 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701025651/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_01_0002_00053.pdf . live .
  13. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  14. Web site: Dionysos NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  15. Web site: Parnitha NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  16. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  17. Web site: Nea Smyrni NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  18. Web site: 30 year period summer statistics of Nea Filadelfeia . Meteoclub . 28 January 2018.
  19. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  20. Web site: Salamina NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  21. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  22. Web site: Piraeus NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  23. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  24. Web site: Parnitha NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  25. http://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/neasmyrni/
  26. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.
  27. Web site: Parnitha NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  28. Web site: Athens Marina NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  29. https://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/pireas/
  30. Web site: World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive. wmo.asu.edu. https://web.archive.org/web/20220804081116/https://wmo.asu.edu/content/europe-highest-temperature . 4 August 2022.
  31. Web site: Parnitha record low . . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724224208/http://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/parnitha/NOAAPRYR.TXT . 9 April 2023. 2018-07-24 .
  32. Web site: HNMS . 9 May 2024.
  33. Web site: Anavysos NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  34. Web site: Lavrio NOA station . . 9 April 2023.
  35. Web site: Monthly Bulletins . . 9 April 2023.