ATHENS (Reuters) -Tourists visiting the Acropolis used umbrellas and fans to protect themselves, while locals retreated indoors, as temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) gripped the Greek capital on Friday.
Situated at Europe’s southernmost tip in the Mediterranean Sea, Greece has always had hot and dry summers.
But in recent years, climate change has led to longer and more severe heatwaves, as well as wildfires and destructive floods.
On Friday, authorities banned outdoor activities for builders and delivery staff from 0900 to 1400 GMT and advised against unnecessary travel.
Workers had the option of switching to remote working to avoid possible heat exhaustion, while air-conditioned facilities were provided for the elderly.
“We have a really nice temperature in here,” 80-year-old Maro Marneri said at a community centre in Athens.
Tourists were less comfortable.
“We are all from Pennsylvania and we have never really experienced a heatwave like this before,” Antonia Lasen told Reuters.
“At the Acropolis, we were all very hot and it was a little bit slippery to walk up, and the combination of the heat and the marble, I think it was hotter because of the cement, it was like a cement jungle almost, which is very hot.”
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Reuters TV in Athens. Writing by Ivana Sekularac; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Comments