Quinn
July 25th, 2007, 03:21 PM
Greece was bracing itself for 45C (113F) temperatures today as a record-breaking heatwave was set to peak after causing hundreds of deaths in southern and central Europe.
Five hundred Hungarians have already died in the highest ever temperatures recorded in the Balkan state, while dozens of forest fires have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres in the region's second heavwave of the summer.
The top temperatures today were expected in central and southern Greece, including Athens, which has already suffered its hottest June in a century. Three deaths were recorded in Corfu yesterday as the elderly struggled to cope with the heat. The Foreign Office is warning holiday-makers attempting to escape the rain in the UK to take extra precautions.
The Greek Government warned people to restrict their movements and stay at home wherever possible. Further forest fires and electricity cuts are predicted. More than a thousand additional fighfighters have been dispatched to fires in northern Greece, while 24-hour fire patrols were carried out across the country.
more...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2137595.ece
Five hundred Hungarians have already died in the highest ever temperatures recorded in the Balkan state, while dozens of forest fires have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres in the region's second heavwave of the summer.
The top temperatures today were expected in central and southern Greece, including Athens, which has already suffered its hottest June in a century. Three deaths were recorded in Corfu yesterday as the elderly struggled to cope with the heat. The Foreign Office is warning holiday-makers attempting to escape the rain in the UK to take extra precautions.
The Greek Government warned people to restrict their movements and stay at home wherever possible. Further forest fires and electricity cuts are predicted. More than a thousand additional fighfighters have been dispatched to fires in northern Greece, while 24-hour fire patrols were carried out across the country.
more...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2137595.ece