Greece shuts Acropolis for part of day as heatwave continues
ATHENS, July 17 (Reuters) -Greece shut the Acropolis, its most visited ancient site, for several hours in the afternoon on Wednesday as the country baked in yet another heatwave that sent temperatures up to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4°F).
As with many countries in Europe, Greece has repeatedly seen high temperatures disrupt daily activities since June, and hundreds of wildfires have broken out following the warmest winter on record that scientists link to global climate change.
Schools and tourist sites have been shut, outdoor work hours curtailed, and six tourists died in June during a period of prolonged heat, highlighting the dangers of exposure as the temperature hovers near or above 40°C (104°F).
The Acropolis, on a rocky hill overlooking Athens, draws hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, and was closed from noon until 5:00 p.m. (0900 to 1400 GMT).
"This is abnormal for all across the world, right? What is it, they said, that by the end of these 50 years we’re not going to be able to keep up with climate change anymore," said Andrea Warren, 36, from Canada, as other tourists came down the hill behind her.
"We are experiencing an intense climate change... and that’s why the state has to adapt, bearing in mind always the protection of its people and in particular of its workers," said Labour Minister Niki Kerameus.
Hellenic Red Cross crews handed out bottles of water to tourists - some in hats - waiting to enter the Acropolis site before it closed.
The Greek meteorological service has forecast that extreme heat conditions will continue through the weekend, prompting authorities to restrict outdoor work during peak heat hours (0900 GMT to 1400 GMT) this week.
Reporting by Valentini Anagnostopoulou, Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Bernadette Baum
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
