Greek citizens have already been warned by the climate crisis minister that they are about to face a first wave of heatwave and that temperatures of over 40 degrees are expected this week.
Beware of extreme temperatures!, archive photo
Meteorological services have issued warnings regarding reaching the threshold of 42 degrees Celsius in the center of the country, as Greece has already faced very high temperatures in recent days, especially in Athens, reports Agerpres, citing AFP.
These forecasts have led the authorities to warn the population and prepare to counteract the effects of the heatwave, especially since, starting on Tuesday, when temperatures will be above 40 degrees, there is also a risk “very high” of fires, according to the statement on Monday by Vassilis Kikilias, the minister for climate crises and responsible for civil protection,
According to the weather forecast, the heat wave will last three days and will “peaks on Wednesday and Thursday”again “the fire risk will be very high in large areas of Greece”.
Officials asked the Greeks “help and attention to protect human lives” and nature, in the conditions in which between 30 and 40 forest fires are recorded daily in Greece, for the time being on a small scale.
Last Tuesday, heat records were recorded for the first week of June, according to the meteo.gr website, with temperatures reaching 39.3 degrees Celsius in some places, and this is only the first wave of heat wave that will descend on Europe.
Where to find help
Tourists who have planned their summer vacations are advised to inform themselves about the risks in the affected areas and take precautions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning since the beginning of April for Romanian citizens in Greece about raising the fire alert level to 4 (very high risk) in the areas of the North Aegean, Attica (Athens), Evia, the Cyclades Islands, Crete and the south of the Peloponnese Peninsula, due to significant wind intensifications.
For consular assistance, Romanian citizens can contact the Romanian Embassy in Athens and the Consulate General in Thessaloniki.
And the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism issued warnings last year for Romanians traveling to destinations where fires were announced. Authorities recommended rescheduling or canceling vacations if the risks are significant. However, this can only be done with the consent of the parties, if the authorities of the respective countries do not impose restrictions or limitations.
We remind you that in 2023, Greece, despite being used to high temperatures, faced a prolonged heat wave lasting two weeks, during which fires destroyed approximately 175,000 hectares of forests and agricultural land and more than 20 people died, so the fears expressed by the minister for climate crises are absolutely well-founded.
