Why Greece still turns to TV legend Christina Souzi for the weather forecast

In Greece, summer arrives with two questions: which way is the wind blowing and how hot will it get? Christina Souzi has spent more than 30 years answering both as a trained meteorologist and TV weather presenter (as well as a national institution). For most Greeks planning a ferry crossing or a weekend at the beach, the forecast matters. Having previously worked at the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Souzi has become one of the country’s most recognisable faces, thanks to her daily bulletins for national commercial broadcaster SKAI TV.

The walls of Souzi’s office in Athens are lined with photographs of the Greek islands. A keen sailor and former speedboat owner, she lights up when she talks about plotting routes across the Aegean and Ionian seas or decoding the meltemi (a Greek summer wind). Monocle meets her as she readies the outlook for the sunniest time of the year.

Do TV weather reports still matter when people can access the same information on their phones?
Yes. They’re still essential, especially when it comes to harsh or extreme weather events.

What’s your favourite part of your job?
I’m a little obsessed with wind patterns. I used to have a speedboat that I would steer myself. I have been all over the Aegean and the Ionian. I liked sailing with friends and everyone would ask me about the winds, especially during the Greek meltemi season, and what was the best route to take or which island to hop to next.

People used to call you up for a forecast. Do you still have that direct connection with your audience?
I still get stopped on the street every day. It’s proof that though people might not watch the bulletin on TV as much as they used to, they still care about the weather and I still have value. Sometimes they ask about the forecast or yell at me because I made a mistake. I might get the temperature in the summer wrong by one or two degrees but it’s not the end of the world. When I get it right, though, it’s the best feeling in the world. Once, I was sent a photograph of a car in Athens that was heavily snowed under. Someone had written on it with their finger, “Souzi called it!”

What are the key skills in your line of work?
You need to be able to take risks. If a meteorologist says that they never make mistakes, they’re lying. We’re not gods. As much as we try, we’ll always make mistakes. I tend to struggle with rain predictions. But I accept defeat. I often apologise on the following day’s show. You also have to be able to use AI as a tool. But you can’t trust it and you need more information than it currently gives you. I fear that people might start using it blindly to predict the weather.

How did meteorology come into your life?
It wasn’t the plan. I was studying mathematics at the University of Patras [in the Peloponnese]. I heard that the meteorology professor was good and thought, “Why not try it?” I fell in love with the class, particularly weather prediction and forecasting. After university, I sat an exam for the National Meteorological Service and was accepted. Back then, people used to call the hotline to ask us what the weather was going to be like so that they could make their weekend plans.

Is there an art to presenting the weather?
You have to combine scientific accuracy and theatricality with communication, live presenting and directing. It shouldn’t just be a simple reading of facts or data but an engaging show. You need to win your audience’s trust within a few minutes.

What are your plans this summer?
I work right up until the end of July. The seaside has always been my big love, so that’s where you’ll find me in August. We love spending time in our home in Anavyssos [on the Athenian coast]. We’ll be back there this year but last summer there was a significant wildfire in the area. We have spent all this year trying to restore the nature around our plot. Thankfully, it has been rainy, so nature has managed to revive itself in a short space of time.