Acropolis temporarily closed due to heat

The Acropolis will remain closed on Tuesday, due to the very high temperatures that have engulfed Greece.

The Ministry of Culture in Greece announced that the famous monument in Athens will be closed from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, local time.

Temperatures of up to 42 degrees Celsius are expected in parts of Greece on Tuesday, while a level four fire alert has been issued for some regions - meaning a very high risk.

Fires have already broken out in other European countries, such as France and the Catalonia region of Spain, just weeks after these areas faced a heatwave that also caused casualties.

The closure of the Acropolis on Tuesday - when temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius are expected in the city - is not the first time it has happened.

Extreme heat forced the closure of this popular attraction both in June and last July.

Authorities said the closure is for the "safety of workers and visitors" at the site, which is visited by tens of thousands of people every day.

During 2024, a total of 4.5 million people visited it.

The Greek Ministry of Labor has also already imposed a mandatory five-hour work stoppage for workers working outdoors in areas where temperatures are expected to be high.

The current heat wave will continue until Wednesday, with temperatures reaching 40-42 degrees Celsius in the south of the country. Then, from Thursday, temperatures are expected to gradually drop.

A severe heatwave hit western and southern Europe earlier this summer, causing mass evacuations and the destruction of homes and businesses.

According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, heat waves are increasing due to human-caused climate change.

He warns that hot weather will become more frequent and intense in the future as global temperatures continue to rise./ REL