ATHENS, Greece A scorching heatwave, potentially the earliest ever recorded in Greece, has gripped the nation, sending temperatures soaring towards 45°C (113°F) and prompting urgent wildfire warnings.
As the mercury climbed past 43°C (109°F) in central and southern regions this week, authorities issued a level three heat alert, urging people to work from home and avoid strenuous outdoor activities. The Acropolis, a major tourist attraction, was forced to close on Wednesday afternoon due to the extreme heat.
Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos, speaking to state broadcaster ERT, described the weather event – three consecutive days above 38°C (100°F) – as unprecedented for this early in the summer.
Adding to the crisis, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Rhodes this week, as confirmed by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
The combination of scorching temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds has created a tinderbox environment, fueling fears of widespread wildfires. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned of a "high fire risk", particularly in the Attica region surrounding Athens.
In a series of urgent messages on social media, Kikilias revealed that firefighters battled 44 wildfires across the country in a single 24-hour period. He described the situation as a "climate crisis," emphasizing the severity and growing frequency of extreme weather events.
The warnings come as firefighters in neighboring Cyprus, where temperatures are also approaching 45°C, struggle to contain blazes near the city of Paphos. Greece deployed two firefighting aircraft to assist Cypriot authorities, with additional support arriving from the Royal Jordanian air force.
Last summer, Southern Europe experienced a devastating wildfire season, with Greece, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and France all battling widespread blazes. The island of Rhodes was particularly hard hit, with tens of thousands of tourists evacuated in the country's largest-ever wildlife evacuation effort.
