- Title: GREECE-WEATHER/HEATWAVE Greece basks in the first heatwave of the year
- Date: 30th July 2015
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 30, 2015) (REUTERS) SKYLINE WITH ACROPOLIS IN DISTANCE VARIOUS OF ACROPOLIS SKYLINE EXTERIOR OF PHARMACY SIGN SHOWING TEMPERATURE OF 40 DEGREES CELSIUS FOUNTAIN IN SYNTAGMA SQUARE WITH PARLIAMENT BUILDING IN BACKGROUND WATER IN FOUNTAIN SUN IN SKY WITH WATER FROM FOUNTAIN WOMAN DIPPING HAND IN FOUNTAIN AND MAN WASHING HIS FACE MAN WASHING HIS FACE WOMA
- Embargoed: 14th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADSXCCANNUXWVKDAVLOZDSLUWH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s were reported across Greece on Thursday (July 30) as a somewhat later than usual heatwave hit the country.
In central Athens, tourists and locals sought relief under park trees or by dipping their hands in the city's fountains. And of course - by drinking cold drinks and eating ice cream.
The temperature reached 40 degrees in the Greek capital and was set to remain high in the coming days, before dropping towards the end of the weekend.
Generally, it was warmer on the Greek mainland than on the islands.
Tourists in the city centre were mostly enjoying the hot weather, but for Nabas Sheena from Manchester in the United Kingdom, who was visiting with his family, it was perhaps a bit too hot for his liking.
"Oh, definitely better weather than England, but it's probably a bit hotter than anticipated, but still we are quite happy and we're enjoying it," he said.
Mark Ferguson from Melbourne in Australia said that he ought to be used to the warmth, but that a bus trip earlier in the day had proven a bit too much.
"It's very warm actually, I'm like sweating the whole time generally. It's close to Australia but I've been on a bus all day so it's kind of been a bit overwhelming really," he said.
Katherine Ridley said she and her friends had enjoyed the day at the beach and that she was looking forward to going home to a cooler Geneva.
"Oh, it's super hot but it was really hot where I live when I left so it's not much of a change, but it will be nice to go home because it's cooled down there so it'll not make it so sad to go home," she said.
Greg Wilton from Reading near London was happy to be in Greece and not in rainy England.
"Reading was warm in the spring but apparently I hear now it's raining again and has been for a few days, it's cold like autumn, so it's nice to be here," he said.
For Giselle Ercolina, who was visiting Athens from Argentina, the heat was getting too much.
"We're travelling here in Athens. It's our first day and the heat's killing us. We came from the islands, from the beach, and we can't take it anymore. We had to make three stops in different cafes to have some air. It's a real pain," she said.
Greece is often struck by heatwaves in the summer, with temperatures reaching as much as a scorching 46 degrees Celsius. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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