The iconic Acropolis was closed to visitors for several hours on Tuesday afternoon as Greece experienced its second heatwave of the season, with mercury soaring as high as 41 degrees Celsius.
Large parts of Western Europe reeled under a heatwave last week, killing 8 people and triggering forest fires and health alerts across the region.
In the Greek capital, Athens, temperatures are predicted to reach 38 degrees Celsius, prompting authorities to close the Acropolis, according to Reuters. The most visited Greek ancient site, situated on a rocky hill barely providing any shade, was closed at midday from 1000 GMT until 1400 GMT.
However, some tourists reached the monument, defying the heat to visit the ancient site before it shut.
“It’s extremely hot,” John Howell, a 58-year-old Scottish tourist, told Reuters. “So yeah, we had to take extra measures. We have little fans for the children. I have the hat, the glasses. We’ve been drinking lots of water,” the tourist added.
Outdoor Business Halted
Authorities in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, ordered some businesses and other areas on the mainland and southern Peloponnese peninsula to limit outdoor work for employees in the afternoon as hot air and humidity worsened conditions.
Builders, food delivery riders, couriers and shipyard workers were told to halt their work from midday until 5 pm to avoid heat stress, according to the labour ministry.
As per the Greek meteorological service, the heatwave conditions will continue until Wednesday. Authorities in the wider Athens and other areas will be on alert for wildfires as gale-force winds are expected.
Heatwave In Europe
Large parts of Europe have been reeling under a heatwave, with Spain and England recording their hottest June ever last week.
Spain’s weather service said the “extremely hot” June, with an average temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius, “has pulverised records”, surpassing the normal average for July and August.
The Met Office in England said June’s mean temperature of 16.9 degrees Celsius set a new record for that month, while the UK as a whole saw its second warmest June since records began in 1884.
Portugal also experienced a record daily temperature of 46.6 degrees Celsius for June. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate due to a wildfire in Turkey, while two people died due to the heat in Italy.
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