Greece is facing a climate crisis that demands urgent action, warns Kostas Kartalis, Professor at the University of Athens. ‘We’ve built our country for a climate that no longer exists,’ he told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. With heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires intensifying, Kartalis calls for a major overhaul of productive sectors and infrastructure to withstand these changes, ahead of his participation in the 10th Delphi Economic Forum, set for April 9-12, 2025.
Tag: heatwaves
A new study warns that Athens could see nearly 90,000 additional heat-related deaths by the end of the century due to rising temperatures. Published in *Nature Medicine*, the research predicts that heat-related fatalities will outnumber cold-related deaths in European cities, especially in the Mediterranean. With climate change intensifying, even optimistic scenarios show significant increases in mortality, underscoring the urgent need for cities to adapt and protect vulnerable populations.
A massive fire erupted near Platanias on the west coast of Crete on Wednesday, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of tourists from two large hotels. The blaze, which started in a reed bed and spread quickly due to strong winds, forced authorities to evacuate the western part of the town. Despite the efforts of over 90 firefighters and three tanker helicopters, the fire was only contained to a stable perimeter by late afternoon and remained uncontrolled. The current heat waves and dried vegetation have exacerbated the situation, with another fire reported in northern Greece. This follows a recent devastating fire in Athens that destroyed over 10,000 hectares and caused significant damage.
The year 2024 is on track to become the hottest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Despite a slight dip in July temperatures compared to 2023, extreme heatwaves, record ocean temperatures, and widespread weather disasters signal a continuing trend of global warming.
June 2024 set a new record as the hottest June ever, continuing a 13-month streak of unprecedented global heat, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The extreme weather has led to severe floods, heatwaves, and record ocean temperatures, with experts warning that even La Niña conditions may not halt the rise in global temperatures.
According to data from the Climatebook annual report, there is a continuous upward trend in…