Greece is set to endure its hottest July weekend in 50 years, a top meteorologist has warned, as the country wilts under a prolonged heatwave set to last well into next week.
Government ministries have advised people to work from home where possible and not to venture out unnecessarily. The exceptional temperatures also mean key tourism sites will be closed during the hottest part of the day.
“This weekend risks being the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years,” Panagiotis Giannopoulos, a meteorologist with state broadcaster ERT, said on Friday.
“Athens is going to have temperatures above 40C [104F] for six to seven days, through to the end of July.”
Such a prolonged spell of scorching temperatures is exceptional for the Greek capital.
Sunday is likely to see the city labour under as much as 44C (111F) with the central region of Thessalia enduring 45C.
A 46-year-old man was reported to have succumbed to heatstroke on the central Greek island of Evia after being admitted to Chalkida hospital, which said cardio-respiratory failure after exposure to high temperatures appeared to be the cause.
The national meteorological institute EMY earlier reported temperatures of 41C at Attica, encompassing the capital, Athens, while forecasting up to 44C in Thessalia.
Yannis Kallianos, a meteorologist with private broadcaster Mega, spoke of an “interminable and powerful heatwave”.
“According to latest forecasts, the heatwave could last until next Thursday or Friday,” he warned, adding that strong northerly winds could also spark fires.
Authorities, meanwhile, reported firefighters were still battling 79 forest fires across the country, with their spokesman Vassilios Vathrakoyannis saying Greece would be on a state of alert across the weekend.
Firefighters, backed by air water bombers and reinforcements from several countries including Cyprus, France, Israel and Italy, are struggling to contain a wildfire west of Athens that burnt forestland for a fifth day on Friday and which has gutted homes and forced evacuations.
More than 100 houses and businesses have been severely damaged by the fire and another near Athens that authorities put out earlier in the week.
Turkey said Friday it was sending two firefighting aircraft and a helicopter to help its neighbour.
Two other blazes in forests on the island of Rhodes and in the Lakonia district in southern Greece were tamed on Friday.
Architectural attractions including the Acropolis in Athens, a world heritage site, would be shuttered from noon to 5.30pm local time until Sunday, the ministry of culture said.
The labour ministry urged people to work from home where possible and the health ministry called on people to avoid venturing out except where strictly necessary.
“We have three difficult days ahead of us,” Vassilis Kikilias, minister for civil protection, told ERT. “We must be vigilant.”
Athens saw its record temperature to date of 44.8C (112.6F) in June 2007, according to the Athens national observatory, with nearby Elefsina recording a national record of 48C (118.4F) in July 1977.
Greece is just one of a swathe of countries battling a prolonged spell of extreme heat around the globe in recent days.
Reuters contributed to this report
