Athens Implements Heatwave Measures Amidst Acropolis Closure

Greece has shut the site of the ancient Acropolis to tourists, closed schools, and stationed medics across Athens as it faces the first heatwave of the summer. Temperatures were expected to hit 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday and Thursday in parts of the Mediterranean country, driven by southerly winds bringing hot air and dust from North Africa.

The Acropolis hill, which includes the Parthenon temple and is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, was closed from noon to 5 pm (09:00-14:00 GMT) on Wednesday, and Red Cross staff handed out bottles of water to tourists. Many primary schools and nurseries across the country have been told to close for two days.

Greece is one of the European countries most affected by the climate crisis. Last year, rising temperatures fueled deadly wildfires, and erratic rains caused some of the worst flooding on record, both of which damaged crops and livelihoods. Similar conditions were seen last year across much of southern Europe, including Portugal, France, Spain, and Italy where fires led to dozens of deaths. In Greece, fires began earlier than expected this year, including one in March.

Firefighters and police were patrolling forests from air and land on Wednesday, ahead of what is expected to be a windy end to the week, raising the risk of fires spreading.

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