Acropolis shuts as heat wave scorches Greece, Balkans

ATHENS — Greece and the wider Balkans sweltered under the third heat wave of the summer on Tuesday, with laborers barred from work, tourists kept away from the iconic ruins and firefighters battling blazes scattered across the arid countryside.

Couriers, food delivery riders and builders in and around Athens and other regions were ordered to pause work from midday until 5 pm, as the temperature was expected to climb as high as 43 C, the labor ministry said.

In the Feneos area in southern Greece, 185 firefighters with 50 vehicles were combating a strong forest fire, helped by 15 planes and 11 helicopters. Two villages were evacuated as a measure of precaution as the fire raged. The governor of the surrounding Peloponnese region, Dimitrios Ptochos, said the situation was difficult, local media reported.

Greece has long been known for the hot, sunny summers that attract tens of millions of tourists every year. But climate change has led to longer and more severe heatwaves, as well as destructive floods and wildfires.

Authorities said they would shut the ancient Acropolis ruins, Greece's most-visited tourist site atop a rocky hill above Athens, for five hours from midday on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Matthew Enos, an 18-year-old visitor from New Orleans, said he had not been prepared for such a heat wave when he arrived in the capital.

"It's been a little tough so far. Not the greatest feeling ever," he said. "So I've just been adapting by drinking lots and lots of water."

Tourists sought out air-conditioned restaurants and stores in Athens, one of the most densely populated capitals in Europe, which bakes on a plain flanked by mountains. The heat wave will continue until Sunday, the Greek meteorological service said.

Scorching heat also gripped neighboring Bulgaria, with authorities urging businesses to offer water and cut physical labor during high-risk hours.

In Albania, firefighters assisted by four aircraft from Italy and Greece battled two wildfires at a national park in the north and near the southwestern village of Dukat.

Last month, large parts of Western Europe sweltered in another severe heat wave that left many dead and triggered forest fires and health alerts across the region.

Around the world, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 1.5 degrees above the preindustrial era for the first time.

Agencies via Xinhua