Greece closed on Tuesday the famous Acropolis of Athens and its Parthenon due to a new heat wave that is leaving extreme temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, and is expected to last at least until tomorrow throughout the country and much of the Balkan region.
As reported in recent hours by various agencies and media, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that the 2,500-year-old Acropolis archaeological site will remain closed until 17:00 today for the “safety of workers and visitors, due to the high temperatures”, in order to avoid the hottest hours of the day.
As the hot air and humid environment worsened conditions, Greek authorities also issued restrictive orders in other cities such as Thessaloniki – Greece’s second largest city – and in areas of the Peloponnese for outdoor workers not to work during the hottest hours. Specifically, the order issued by the Ministry of Labour provides for a work break from noon to 5pm, in a measure that also affects many Greek islands in the Aegean.
Meteorologists expect temperatures to reach 42°C in some parts of Greece, with highs reaching 38°C in the capital, Athens. This is the second heatwave in Greece in just two weeks, and with a similar weather forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday, special measures to close the Acropolis could continue.
Already in 2024, which was the hottest year on record, the Greek authorities were forced to close the access to the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon during the hottest days due to the massive influx of tourists to the historic site, which received more than 4.5 million visitors last year. Greece is also on high wildfire risk alert in the Athens metropolitan area, the centre and the south of the country. The extreme heat is also triggering fires in the rest of the Balkan region, where 620 forest fires were recorded in Serbia alone on Monday.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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