Greece faces historic heatwave.

Greece has warned of its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C.

Greek meteorological officials warned on July 22nd that the heatwave in the country risks lasting for several more days, even though the extreme weather phenomenon has now entered its 11th day.

"Data suggests the heatwave will last approximately 16-17 days in Greece. This is unprecedented in our country," Kostas Lagouvardos, research director of the National Meteorological Observatory, told ERT.

The last time Greece recorded a prolonged heatwave was in 1987, with temperatures exceeding 39°C for 11 days.

Authorities in the Southern European country have advised citizens to avoid going outside during peak hours of heat. Many popular tourist attractions, including the Acropolis in Athens, have had to close during the hottest times of the day.

"This weekend, Greece could record its highest July-only temperatures in 50 years," said meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos.

Tourists receive cold water from a vehicle provided by the Greek Red Cross in Athens on July 20. Photo: AFP — Tourists receive cold water from a vehicle provided by the Greek Red Cross in Athens on July 20. Photo: *AFP*

The national meteorological agency announced that sea surface temperatures were 2-3°C higher than normal. The Akrotiri meteorological station recorded a temperature of 42.6°C on July 21st and warned that temperatures would continue to rise. Akrotiri could reach 44°C on July 23rd, while the central region of Thessalia could record temperatures of 45°C.

Greece is currently experiencing 79 wildfires simultaneously across the country. Government officials have announced that the wildfire warning will remain in effect throughout the weekend. The fire on the island of Rhodes has forced dozens of residents to leave their homes and evacuate to safety. Slovak firefighters have been deployed to assist their counterparts on the island.

Many places across the Northern Hemisphere have been experiencing extreme heat in recent days. Experts believe that extreme weather patterns are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change, fueled by greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels.

Gavin Schmidt, a climate expert at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), warned that July this year will be the hottest month in world history, not just since countries began collecting data, "but in hundreds, even thousands of years."

He argued that the El Niño phenomenon, which occurs when sea surface temperatures rise in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, is not the sole cause of the hot weather in these countries this year. The El Niño phenomenon has only just begun and, theoretically, it should take several months before its strong effects become apparent.

Schmidt warned that extreme heatwaves will recur more frequently and last longer in the future, due to humans "continuing to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere".

Thanh Danh (According to AFP )

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