In Italy and Turkey, firefighters have been fighting forest fires for some time. Now fires have broken out due to the drought caused by the heat wave in Greece.
Athens – Greece continues to suffer from a permanent heat wave. In addition, numerous fires have broken out due to the drought.
At least 16 people had to be treated for respiratory problems in hospitals on the Peloponnese peninsula, the state television reported on Sunday. Several houses in the area of the small town of Egion were destroyed. The fires were contained on Sunday morning. The risk of fire remains high because of the drought, warned the civil defense.
Meanwhile, the “historical heat wave” – as numerous meteorologists call it – is continuing. After the thermometers showed values of up to 43 degrees in the past few days, temperatures around 45 degrees were expected in places on Sunday. The Greek weather office announced on Sunday that there will be a new highlight on Monday and Tuesday. What is bad is that it stays hot even at night, especially in the metropolitan areas, with temperatures above 30 degrees.
The cities opened air-conditioned halls for residents who do not have air conditioning at home. Working outdoors should be reduced as much as possible, the Ministry of Labor said. Animal welfare associations called on the residents to provide water for stray animals in shady places and to refill the water bowls over and over again. When the heat will subside is unclear. Some meteorologists feared this dangerous situation could last for up to two weeks. dpa