High temperatures and sunny weather are expected in Greece in the week leading up to Orthodox Easter on Sunday, according to the latest bulletin released by the Meteo weather service of the National Observatory of Athens.

At their highest, temperatures are expected to reach or even exceed 35 degrees Celsius on Friday and over the weekend, the Meteo said.

Temperatures in Athens on Friday and Saturday are forecast to hit 30-32 degrees, while in Patras they will range from 32 to 36 degrees Celsius. In Iraklio, Crete, they are expected to go even higher, reaching between 35 and 38C.

Strong winds are also expected, between 5-6 on the Beaufort scale, while dust from Africa will affect several regions as of Wednesday.

This article was first published on ekathimerini.com.