Heatwave: Greece in ‘absolute vigilance’ closes Acropolis again

In the face of the heat wave affecting Greece, all archaeological sites in the country, including the Acropolis of Athens, will close during the hottest hours of the day until the end of the week.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday called for “absolute vigilance” in the face of a new episode of the heatwave affecting his country with temperatures expected to range from 44C to 45C this weekend. The head of government warns: “We need absolute vigilance (…) because the difficult times have not passed”. In fact, the authorities fear the effects of the heat wave and a possible strengthening of the winds, which have fueled several violent fires around Athens since Monday.

More than 38°C in Athens in broad daylight

This Thursday, the tourist monuments are closed from noon local time until 17:30 (09:00 to 15:30 GMT) and a measure that will be in effect until Sunday. Additionally, due to a previously announced work stoppage by the Acropolis Guardians, the Acropolis site will not reopen and will remain closed until its usual closing time, 8pm local time (5pm GMT) Thursday to Sunday.

“What worries us is that forecasts point to a further increase in temperatures next week. It would therefore be a heat wave that would last for more than a fortnight, the longest ever recorded in Greece,” Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development of the Athens National Observatory, told AFP.

Greece expects maximum temperatures of 43C on Thursday and they are expected to rise further in the coming days with 44-45C expected on Friday and Saturday in the center of the country.