According to the Greek television ERT, the current heat wave in Greece will be the longest since 1987: for 11 days in a row, the thermometer in the country does not drop even at night, and the average air temperature over the past 72 hours is +35.6 °C.
“The country is like one big greenhouse,” reports Greek TV. People are trying to escape the heat in the sea, and air conditioners and fans are running at full capacity.
On Friday, July 21, the highest daytime temperatures were recorded in Chania, Crete – +42.6 °С and +42.1°С were recorded in Loutraki.
According to the Director of the National Weather Service EMY Antonis Lalos, this is the strongest heat wave since 1987. Then from July 17 to July 28, it was also very hot: in Athens, for eight days it was +41 °C … +44 °C. According to official data, 1,300 people became victims of the heat, and according to unofficial data, more than 1,500 residents died.
According to weather forecasters, in Greece in summer the air temperature rarely drops below +30 °C, but the 40-degree heat usually lasts no longer than four to five days.
At the moment, all archaeological sites across the country are closed due to extreme heat from 12:00 to 17:30.