Athens on high alert as heatwave and extreme fire risk grip Greece
Αuthorities have placed Athens on high alert as a severe heatwave and an extreme wildfire risk are forecast for Wednesday, prompting the closure of two major hills to visitors and vehicles while emergency measures are introduced across the capital.
The Municipality of Athens said services have been mobilized to protect vulnerable residents, municipal workers and stray animals following a Special Weather Advisory and a Category 5 (Red Code) fire risk warning.
Access banned to Lycabettus and Finopoulos Hills
Authorities have prohibited visitors and vehicles from entering or remaining on Lycabettus and Finopoulos Hills from midnight Tuesday until further notice to reduce the risk of forest fires.
Water tankers equipped with cannons and four-wheel-drive emergency vehicles have also been deployed at Lycabettus Hill and the Municipality of Athens campsite in Agios Andreas in eastern Attica as a precaution.
The city has opened seven air-conditioned facilities for the public, while seven Friendship Clubs will remain open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to provide relief from the extreme heat.
Temperatures expected to exceed 42C
The National Meteorological Service (EMY) warned that temperatures on Wednesday could reach 41C to 42C across Thessaly, eastern Central Greece and the eastern Peloponnese, with isolated areas in Thessaly expected to see temperatures as high as 43C.
In Attica, temperatures are forecast to reach 40C to 41C. Authorities said an updated weather advisory will be issued on Wednesday.
The General Secretariat for Civil Protection urged residents to avoid unnecessary exposure to the heat and take precautionary measures, adding that emergency services have been placed on standby to respond to potential heat- and fire-related incidents.
Heatwave intensifies
According to Meteo at the National Observatory of Athens, Greece experienced widespread extreme temperatures on Tuesday, with the highest reading of 41.4C recorded in Oleni in the western Peloponnese.
The observatory said temperatures exceeded 40C at 18 monitoring stations across the country, highlighting the intensity of the ongoing heatwave.
