Greece braces itself for a heat wave that is expected to hit the country in the next 10 days. Weather forecasters predict temperatures will soar well above 40°C in the west and north, making it one of the hottest spells in history.
The Meteo weather service of the National Observatory of Athens has recently released its latest forecasts, predicting that Greece will encounter elevated temperatures over the next ten days.
Temperatures will gradually increase over the coming days and remain high until the end of next week, with slight variations from day to day and across different parts of Greece.
According to the latest data, Meteo forecasts that specific regions of the country will experience temperatures of 40°C or higher starting from Monday. At night, though, temperatures will decrease to a minimum of 27-29°C, except in urban areas where they will remain high. Temperatures in Crete will remain around 30-32°C during the day, possibly rising to 32°C later next week.
People are advised to stay indoors during the peak hours of the day, as the heat can be dangerous, especially for the elderly, the sick, and children. Hospitals and emergency services are on high alert, and the government has issued a warning to the public to take necessary precautions to avoid heatstroke and dehydration.
Despite the heat, life goes on in Greece, and people are trying to find ways to cope with the soaring temperatures. Many are heading to the beaches and the islands, seeking refuge in the cool waters of the Aegean Sea. Others retreat to the mountains, where the air is cooler and fresher.
The heat wave may spark wildfires, too. According to the Fire Risk Forecast Map released by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection at the climate crisis and civil protection ministry, Attica, eastern Greece (Viotia and Evia), and northeastern Peloponnese (Corinthia and Argolida) face a severe fire hazard (category 5) on Monday.
Residents of three settlements, namely Avantas, Amfitriti, and Maistros, were alerted on Sunday afternoon to evacuate and relocate to the city of Alexandroupolis through the emergency hotline 112. Prior to that, residents of Monastiraki and Doriskos were also advised to evacuate toward Feres, as communicated by the 112 hotline.
On Sunday, a new warning was transmitted to the residents of Alexandroupolis through the emergency hotline 112, advising them to remain indoors with windows and doors closed in response to the presence of smoke.
No outdoors work that could trigger a fire will be permitted. We must all protect our country.
Vassilis Kikilias, Minister for Civil Protection, Greece
[…] Further away, in the northern region of Evros bordering Turkey, a fire has been burning for five days. On Tuesday, rescuers discovered 18 burned bodies near Dadia forest, believed to be migrants attempting to enter the European Union. Hospital patients were evacuated onto a ferry in the nearby port city of Alexandroupolis. […]