Acropolis partially closed, outdoor work banned due to heatwave in Greece

Greece's main archaeological site, the Acropolis, was partially closed on Tuesday as part of emergency measures to protect visitors and staff across the country during a four-day heatwave, UNN reports with reference to AFP.

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The Greek Ministry of Culture stated that the world-famous site would be closed until 5:00 PM local time "for the safety of staff and visitors due to high temperatures."

The four-day heatwave, confirmed by meteorologists, began on Sunday and is the second to hit Greece since late June.

Temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius in Athens. Similar temperatures are expected on Wednesday.

To protect outdoor workers, the country's Ministry of Labor decided to suspend work from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time in various parts of the country, including several islands.

The suspension mainly applies to construction work and couriers.

The 2,500-year-old Acropolis, built on a rock overlooking the Greek capital, offering little shade, attracts tens of thousands of visitors daily. Last year, it was visited by about 4.5 million people, which is 15 percent more than in 2023.

Officials have been forced to issue similar closures over the past two years due to abnormal heat.

The Greek Civil Protection Authority warned of a high risk of fires in the Greater Athens area, Central Greece, and the Peloponnese peninsula. The Greek Fire Service faces 50 fires daily, Konstantinos Tsigkas, head of the Greek firefighters' union, told state television ERT.

Meanwhile, heat and bad weather are raging in other European countries as well.

In Serbia, the hydrometeorological service RMHZ warned that weather conditions could provoke new fires after 620 fires were recorded on Monday. But thunderstorms are also expected in the northern Vojvodina region of Serbia, as well as in the western and central areas. RHMZ also warned of the possibility of hail and hurricane-force gusts.

Croatia has already felt the impact of storms since Monday, with several regions of the country affected. Two people were injured and hospitalized in Vinkovci after a storm broke a power line at a family home near the eastern city, police said.

Authorities said they received dozens of calls about wind-related emergencies, including trees blocking roads, damaged roofs, and power outages.

On Tuesday, heavy rain and stormy winds flooded roads, felled trees, and caused power outages in the Croatian port city of Split, state television HRT reported.

In the city's port, a ferry broke its moorings and crashed into a catamaran and a tourist excursion boat, sinking the latter.

A similar problem was further north, with storms raging in Hungary and Slovakia.

In Budapest, strong winds damaged roofs, felled trees onto roads, and broke power lines on Monday, and the national meteorological service HungaroMet recorded wind speeds of up to 137 kilometers per hour in the area.

Rail traffic was severely disrupted across Hungary, and full restoration of services could take several weeks, according to the country's Minister of Construction and Transport, János Lázár.

In Slovakia, stormy winds caused power outages and ripped the roof off an apartment building in the eastern city of Gelnica, while fallen trees disrupted road and rail traffic across the region.

Night bad weather still delays 6 trains: details08.07.25, 10:59 • 1181 view

The country's weather service SHMU issued a storm warning with heavy rain, wind, and hail for Tuesday, mainly in central and eastern Slovakia.