Acropolis closes as heatwave grips Greece

The Acropolis, a famous ancient site in Athens, Greece, has temporarily closed its doors to visitors due to an intense heatwave sweeping across the country. On Tuesday, temperatures soared to as high as 42 degrees Celsius, making it unsafe for both tourists and workers to be outside during the hottest part of the day. The Greek culture ministry announced that the Acropolis would be closed from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time. This is not the first time the site has had to close because of extreme heat; similar closures happened in June and last July. The Acropolis is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Greece, drawing thousands of visitors every day, and over 4. 5 million people have visited in 2024 alone.

The heatwave is not just affecting Greece. Other parts of Europe, like France and Spain, are also experiencing very high temperatures and dangerous wildfires. In Spain's Catalonia region, a large wildfire forced more than 18,000 people to stay indoors for their safety. The Spanish government sent emergency teams, including 300 firefighters and the military, to help control the fire, which has already burned nearly 3,000 hectares of land. In France, the Marseille Provence airport had to close because of a nearby wildfire, and over 1,000 firefighters were battling another fire near Narbonne. Many people had to leave their homes, and a major highway between France and Spain was shut down.

Greek authorities are taking extra steps to protect people from the heat. Outdoor workers in the hottest areas are not allowed to work from noon to 5:00 pm on Tuesday. The government has also issued high-level wildfire warnings for several regions, including Attica, central Greece, the Peloponnese, and Thessaly. The heatwave is expected to continue into Wednesday, with temperatures remaining very high and the risk of wildfires still present. However, the weather is expected to cool down starting Thursday. The public is being urged to stay alert and follow safety instructions from emergency services. According to the United Nations, heatwaves like this are becoming more common and more severe because of climate change. As the planet warms, experts warn that extreme weather events will happen more often, putting people and places like the Acropolis at risk.