Balkan temperatures swing as heavy rain heads for Greece

Clear skies bring warm days and cold nights to Montenegro, while a low-pressure system moves towards Aegean Sea

Temperatures fluctuated dramatically in the Balkans last week, with unusually large differences between daytime highs and overnight lows – known as the diurnal range.

In Kosanica, Montenegro, the average maximum temperature in October is 15C (59F), while the average minimum is 4C. However, on 4 and 5 October the difference between daytime highs and overnight lows reached 30C, more than double the October average.

Spells of heavy rain and strong winds are expected to sweep across Greece as a result. Forecast models suggest widespread rainfall of 50-150mm, with the highest totals expected around the island of Skiathos.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon, a category 4 storm, is moving close to Mexico’s Pacific coast, near the state of Jalisco. It is the latest of 21 named storms in the Pacific this season, 11 of which have reached hurricane strength.

Heavy rainfall is affecting south-western Mexico, where totals could reach 300-400mm across a wide area, rising to 400-500mm in the wettest locations.