The heat wave takes on a catastrophic dimension in Greece. Temperatures of up to 44 and 45 degrees are expected this weekend. Archaeological sites, including the Acropolis of Athens, will remain closed until Sunday inclusive during the hottest hours of the day. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Thursday July 20 for “absolute vigilance” in the face of this new episode of heat wave.
“We are facing a new heat wave” and “a possible strengthening of the winds” which have already fanned several violent fires around Athens since Monday, he underlined.
Like other archaeological sites, the Acropolis of Athens, the most visited monument in the country, closed at noon and until 5:30 p.m. (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. GMT) on Thursday, a measure which will be applied until Sunday. In addition, due to a work stoppage by the Acropolis guardians already announced, it will in fact remain closed until the usual closing time, 8 p.m. local time (5 p.m. GMT) from Thursday to Sunday.
The guards’ union PEYFA said at least 20 visitors passed out at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It had already partially closed last weekend, due to temperatures that can climb up to 45°C.
Greece expects maximum temperatures of 43°C on Thursday and they are expected to rise further in the coming days with 44 to 45°C forecast for Friday and Saturday in the center of the country. In the Greek capital, an absolute temperature record of 44.8°C was recorded in June 2007, according to the National Observatory of Athens, while the absolute record in Greece was reached in July 1977 with 48°C in Elefsina, near Athens.
On the front of the violent forest fires, the situation was much better on Thursday. However, hundreds of firefighters are still battling the still active outbreaks west of Athens, which have so far burned thousands of hectares.
The fire risk remains very high for the region surrounding the Greek capital, Attica, as well as the Peloponnese peninsula (southwest) and central Greece, according to Civil Protection. On the tourist island of Rhodes where a forest fire broke out two days ago, five planes and five helicopters continue to operate Thursday against the flames. Southeast of Athens, 3,472 hectares have burned in recent days, according to the European observatory Copernicus.