Greece bakes in 43C heat with people told to stay indoors and attractions closed
It's only just started welcoming tourists back.
Temperatures in Greece hit 43C as the country experienced its hottest day of the year so far in the middle of a 10 day heatwave.
People have been told to stay inside if possible while air conditioned halls have been made available to the homeless, elderly and other vulnerable sections of the population.
The Acropolis, the country’s most famous ancient monument that attracts thousands of visitors a day, was closed in the afternoon as a precaution.
The heat rivalled the scorching summers of 2007 and 2000, although higher temperatures were recorded in both those years.
In July 1987, nearly 1,500 people died following one of the worst heatwaves in Greek history.
Greece has gradually been reopening to tourists as its Covid situation improves but the heat was proving too much for many.
‘We visited the Acropolis today and it was very hot, but where we are living it’s raining all the time so we are happy with the heat’, said 21-year-old French tourist Auriane Campart.
The country is still on the UK’s amber list, meaning anybody who visits has to quarantine for 10 days upon their return.
Greece’s civil protection agency called for vigilance and told the elderly and children to pay particular attention to their hydration and avoid unnecessary sun exposure.
In Athens, a high concentration of north African dust turned the sky grey.
The authorities are concerned about a potential fire risk and the fire department on Thursday said it was battling three notable blazes, the largest of them on the island of Crete.
Record temperatures have been recorded in different parts of the world recently, in part a result of climate change.
On Wednesday, Canada saw temperatures hit 49.5C, the third day in a row the country beat its all time record high temperature.
The northwest US has also been baking as a result of the ‘heat dome.’
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