2023-07-14 23:26:15
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Greek authorities closed the Acropolis until 5 p.m
July 14, 2023
Much of southern Europe is experiencing a severe heat wave, with record high temperatures expected in many regions next week.
The Acropolis in the Greek capital, Athens, was closed during the hottest hours of the day to protect visitors from a severe heat wave sweeping the country.
Tourists were banned from entering the country’s most popular tourist attraction from 12:00 to 17:00 (9:00-14:00 GMT).
In Athens, the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius or more.
There are also concerns in Greece regarding the increased risk of forest fires, especially in areas with high winds. The country suffered major wildfires in 2021 in another exceptional heat wave.
And in Croatia, fires broke out on Thursday, burning homes and cars in at least one village, Grpastica, on the Dalmatian coast. Officials told Croatian television on Friday morning that the fire had been brought under control.
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Volunteers from the Hellenic Red Cross distribute water
Earlier this week, a man in his 40s died of heat following collapsing in northern Italy, while several visitors to the country collapsed from heatstroke, including a British man outside the Colosseum in Rome.
The reason is the “Cerberus” heat wave, named by the Italian Meteorological Society following the three-headed monster that appears in Dante’s Inferno.
It was expected to peak on Friday but Italian meteorologists warn that the next heatwave – named Charon following the boat captain who ferried souls to the underworld in Greek mythology – will push temperatures back above 40C. next week.
Heatwaves are also currently spreading to parts of the United States, China, North Africa and Japan.
Temperatures peaked at 41C in central Athens by midday on Friday, but the Acropolis sits atop a rocky hill and is usually much hotter.
And there is not much shade on this hill to rest.
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Italy is one of the countries experiencing a rise in temperatures
The site is usually open from 08:00 to 20:00. Many other tourist sites around the sacred rock where the Acropolis is located will remain open throughout the day.
In recent days, the Hellenic Red Cross has fanned out to provide bottles of water and help people with nausea and dizziness in the heat.
He advised people to drink at least two liters of water a day and to avoid coffee and alcohol, which cause dehydration.
And last June was the hottest on record, according to the European Union’s climate monitoring service Copernicus.
The World Meteorological Organization warned that extreme weather caused by a warming climate “is unfortunately becoming the new normal”.
Periods of extreme heat occur within normal weather patterns, but are becoming more frequent and intense globally and lasting longer due to global warming.
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