There is still no all-clear: the heat has Greece firmly under control, the risk of fire is extremely high.
Athens – The historic heat wave in Greece is not giving up. For over a week the temperatures have climbed to over 40 degrees for several hours a day. In central Greece and on the Peloponnese peninsula, peak values of up to 46 degrees are still expected from Tuesday to Friday.
The fire brigade fought on Tuesday night on the island of Rhodes against a forest and bush fire in a ravine near the village of Maritsa, the village had to be evacuated. Tourist facilities were not threatened. There were also smaller fires on the Peloponnese peninsula and on the Greek-Turkish border on the Evros river, as the fire brigade announced. So far, there have been no victims or injuries.
In view of the drought, the risk of fire will be enormous even after this heat wave has ended, warned meteorologists: if winds set in, devastating fires could occur. In summer and especially in August, strong winds often blow in the Aegean, known as Etesia or Meltemi. Although they bring refreshment, they can easily ignite fires, which can then quickly get out of control, as weather experts emphasized on state television. Dozens of people were killed in Greece in 2007 after a similar period of drought and heat, followed by winds.
Meteorologists are expecting a slight decrease in temperatures to maximum values of around 38 degrees this coming weekend. Then the Etesien or Meltemi winches should also start. dpa
