A post about what the Alcyone days are and why they last longer in Attica was published by the well-known meteorologist and director of EMY, Theodoros Kolidas, explaining in detail the characteristics of the phenomenon.
The features – Temperature and Beaufort
In more detail, Mr. Kolidas mentions on the “X” platform that the “summer days” between December 16 and February 16, during which the minimum temperature does not drop below 4 degrees and the maximum exceeds 16 degrees Celsius.
“On these days, to call them Alcyonides, the weather should flow with few clouds and the average wind speed should not exceed 6 knots, i.e. the average wind intensity should not exceed 2 Beaufort” notes the meteorologist .
How the phenomenon manifests itself in Attica and… elsewhere
He then informs that “the behavior of the Alkyonids is not the same throughout Greece. We would have the appearance of even more such days, if the minimum temperature criterion was not there. Thus, in some areas of the country we may have halcyon days and in others we may not”.
Finally, he underlines that “in the Attica basin, the Alcyonides usually last longer and are more easily felt. This happens because with the increase in temperature in the heart of winter, an anticyclonic circulation is created over Attica, i.e. a high pressure field is created, which “traps” the warm masses of the atmosphere in the same place for more days.
The post in detail
✅#Alkyonides days are defined as “summer days” between 16 December and 16 February, during which the minimum temperature does not fall below 4 degrees and the maximum exceeds 16 degrees Celsius.
These days, to… pic.twitter.com/ICqywCHrtY
— Theodoros Kolydas (@KolydasT) February 4, 2024
The myth
Alkyonide days are called summer days (sunshine with calm or light winds) in the heart of winter, and metaphorically happy days between difficult and unpleasant circumstances.
Their name comes from the mythical Alcyone, daughter of the king of the winds Aeolus.
According to the work “Alcyon”, attributed to Lucian, Alcyone after the death of her husband, Kykas, searched in vain for his corpse.
The gods took pity on her and transformed her into the bird of the same name (commonly, an osprey, seabird or birbil).
According to another version of the myth, Alcyone fell into the sea, as soon as the waves brought her husband’s corpse to the homeland of Oitis.
The gods, wanting to perpetuate true conjugal love, transformed them into birds.
Since then, Alcyone laid her eggs on the seashore, but her chicks were carried away and lost by the waves.
Zeus once took pity on her and decided to send 14 days of summer in the heart of winter, the time when Alcyone incubates her eggs, and ordered Aeolus to restrain the winds during these days.
Thus, this period of time was called Alkyonide days.
According to another theory, the name “Alkyonides” is attributed to the natural phenomenon in which the homonymous star is visible at the highest point of the dome for consecutive days
The Alcyonids got their name from the sea bird Alcyone or better from the homonymous star (Alcyon of the Pleiades) that bears the bird’s name.
On these days, the star Alkyon meanders in the evening hours, which means that on the nights of January it is at the highest point (zenith) of the celestial dome.
This natural phenomenon gave the name Alkyonides to all the consecutive days that this star is visible in the upper part of the dome.
Latest news