According to experts, the scorching heat in Greece could last for several days. A stress test not only for people – the energy grid is also reaching its limits.
Athens – heat and forest fires in Greece: After a weekend with values around 44 degrees, the temperatures in the country continue to rise day by day. On Monday and Tuesday, values of up to 47 degrees were expected, as the weather department announced.
However, there was also positive news: the fires on Rhodes could be contained – even if the risk of fire remains high.
Using fire-fighting planes and helicopters, the fire brigade was able to bring the major fire on the holiday island under control. Hotels and other tourist facilities were not affected, as the civil defense in Athens announced on Monday.
Meanwhile, a major concern of the government is that there could be power outages lasting several hours. Countless air conditioning systems have been running at full speed for days. The Ministry of Energy called on all citizens not to set the systems to the lowest possible temperature. “26 degrees and no more,” it said. Cooking with ovens should also be avoided. Washing machines should not be used around lunchtime, when energy consumption is highest.
In particular, the residents of metropolitan areas such as the metropolis of Athens are suffering from the heat wave that has been going on for almost a week. “You can hardly breathe outside because of the heat and the air inside is unhealthy because of the air conditioning,” said a woman on state television.
It was unclear when the heat would subside. Some meteorologists feared that the high temperatures could last for a few more days. This is very dangerous, especially for the elderly and young children. “Caution! The heat stroke is lurking, ”doctors warn over and over again on the radio. dpa
