Greece was undergoing its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). An emergency operation took place on the island of Rhodes on Saturday to evacuate over 1,500 people to safety from the wildfires raging for five days running.
Already 11 days into its heatwave, Greece‘s national weather institute warned reprieve was still days away, setting this up to be the longest hot spell the country has ever seen.
“This weekend risks being the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years,” said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, meteorologist with state broadcaster ERT.
The heatwave hits as the country is battling dozens of forest fires.
Greek authorities meanwhile warned people not to venture out unnecessarily due to the baking heat.
Click on the slideshow below to see photos of Greece’s heatwave.
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(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and Reuters)
