Greece shuts Acropolis for part of day as heat soars, bans outdoor work

ATHENS (Reuters) -Greece shut the Acropolis for several hours in the afternoon on Tuesday, as the Mediterranean country baked in its second major heatwave of the season, with temperatures set to soar as high as 41 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Last week, large parts of Western Europe sweltered in a severe heatwave that left 8 dead and triggered forest fires and health alerts across the region. 

In Athens, temperatures were expected to reach 38 C, forcing authorities to close the Acropolis, its most visited ancient site, on a rocky hill offering barely any shade, at midday from 1000 GMT until 1400 GMT.

Defying the heat, some tourists visited the monument before it shut.

"It's extremely hot. So yeah, we had to take extra measures. We have little fans for the children. I have the hat, the glasses. We've been drinking lots of water," said John Howell, 58, a Scottish tourist.

With hot air and humidity worsening conditions, authorities ordered some businesses in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, and other areas on the mainland and southern Peloponnese peninsula, to limit outdoor work for employees in the afternoon.

Builders, food delivery riders, couriers and shipyards workers are among those having to pause work from midday until 5 p.m. to avoid heat stress, the labour ministry said.

The heatwave conditions will continue until Wednesday, the Greek meteorological service said, and authorities in the wider Athens and other areas will be on alert for wildfires as gale-force winds were expected.

Worldwide, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding 1.5 Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time.

Greece, which sits on Europe's southernmost edge, also had its warmest winter and summer last year on record, incuding a 16-day heatwave in July, the longest ever, according to scientists.

(Reporting by Stamos Prousalis in Athens and Dominique Vidalon in Paris; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Bernadette Baum)