The Greek authorities warned on Friday of an extremely high risk of developing forest fires over the weekend, in several parts of the country. Fires, according to alerts, are threatened especially in some parts of the island of Eubo, in the east and south of the Peloponnese Peninsula or in the vicinity of Athens, TASR writes according to DPA.
The listed sites are marked in red on the map, so the highest level of warning applies to them. The second highest orange stage, and thus still high risk, is reported for the island of Crete, as well as the western part of the Peloponnese and the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea.
Greece has been plagued by a wave of heat with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius since Monday. According to Friday’s forecasts of meteorologists, the heats will not fall only after the weekend, not during it, as earlier estimates claimed. In addition, strong winds are expected over the weekend, which also increases the risk of fires.
The highest Friday temperature, up to 45.8 degrees Celsius, was measured in the Messinia area on the Peloponnese. In some parts of the capital and in the port city of Pireus, heat was up to 42 degrees Celsius. AFP recalls that in the Athens Acropolis, which is the most sought -after monument in the country, they adjusted the visiting hours so that the complex – from noon to 5 pm – is closed.
People in Greece are encouraging caution, while the authorities warn that a fire can cause a discarded cigarette or accidental spark.
For example, an extensive fire on the Peloponnese from the beginning of the week was probably caused by two workers when welding near the forest. Flames near the village of Feneos burned 1130 hectares of forest and grassland.
On Friday, a forest fire near Kilkis in Northern Greece, where he forced the evacuation of the local university, home and businesses, stood out. Ten other fires burned in neighboring Albania, one of them near Delvinë near the Greek border.
