Greece closes top tourist attraction as heatwave scorches country
Greece's culture ministry on Tuesday ordered a partial closure of the Acropolis, the country's top monument, to protect visitors amid heatwave conditions. Temperatures in the country are expected to reach 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with a maximum of 38 Celsius in Athens
The ministry in a statement said the site would be closed from 1:00 to 5:00 pm (1000 to 1400 GMT) "for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures."
The news comes after authorities in Greece imposed mandatory work breaks in parts of the country where temperatures are expected to exceed 40C, with the heatwave forecast to last until Thursday.
The Labour Ministry ordered the work stoppage, from midday to 5pm, for outdoor manual labour and food delivery services, primarily in central Greece and on several islands.
Employers were also asked to offer remote work options.
No emergency measures were implemented in Athens, and the current hot spell - following sweltering temperatures across Europe - is not considered unusual.
Greek authorities say they are taking long-term steps to address the effects of climate change, including the deployment this summer of a record number of firefighters.
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