Greece closed the Acropolis in Athens during the hottest part of the day on Friday to protect tourists as Croatians carried out clean-up work after a forest fire intensified by a fierce heatwave that hit southern Europe.
In Italy there are fears for the next few days, with the heat intensifying and temperatures expected to exceed 45ºC next week in the center and south of the country.
Italian meteorologists are calling the next phase of the heat wave “Charon,” a reference to the ferryman of the souls of the dead in Greek mythology. This follows this week’s “Cerberus,” named after the three-headed hellhound.
The European Space Agency (ESA), whose satellites monitor land and sea temperatures, has warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are facing extreme conditions.
Temperatures could beat the current European record – 48.8ºC recorded in Sicily in August 2021.
The impact of extreme summer heat came into sharp focus with a study this week which said up to 61,000 people may have died from the heat across Europe last summer.
In Athens, the authorities have closed the Acropolis hill, where the Parthenon temple stands, visited by millions of tourists every year, from noon to 5pm local time.
The Greek Meteorological Service expects temperatures to reach 41C in Athens by midday, but thermometers tend to be higher on the hill above the Greek capital due to the altitude and lack of shade.
In Croatia, 56 firefighters with 20 vehicles and three aircraft are working to contain a forest fire that spread rapidly on Thursday due to strong southerly winds near the Adriatic city of Šibenik. The town of Grebastica was devastated by the fire, with cars and houses destroyed.
Source: Terra
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