Another disastrous summer in Greece

Extremely high temperatures and a prolonged lack of rainfall in Greece are taking an increasingly dramatic turn. Summer in this country is slowly ceasing to be associated with dream vacations, and is beginning to raise concerns about health and life. In June, the media reported on the deaths of tourists exhausted by the heat, and July brought further threats. Fires are raging in the country due to the drought, and water resources are on the wane. Before you plan a trip to the Balkans, check the current situation!

Record hot and dry summer in Greece

Since the beginning of June, successive heat waves have been sweeping through the Balkans bringing temperatures as high as over 45°C. It’s approaching mid-July, and the weather still offers no respite – this week 38-40°C was measured in mainland Greece, exceeding the seasonal average by up to 6-8 degrees Celsius. According to the forecast of the national meteorological agency EMY, at least until next Monday there can be no hope for cooling. The hot weather is accompanied by strong north winds from the Aegean Sea, which increase the risk of fire ignition and spread.

Dramatic fires

This year’s summer in Greece has been particularly troublesome for firefighters. Currently, according to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Defense, there is a very high level of fire danger (category 4) in the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace region. Attica, the Peloponnese and central Greece are also in grave danger of local fire ignition.

On Thursday, a traffic accident occurred on Lesko Island, after which a car burst into flames. The fire quickly spread to nearby vegetation. Seven fire engines, five aircraft and two helicopters were diverted to extinguish the fire. Another fire broke out yesterday in Corinth, in the Stogi area. To confront the flames, the mobilization included 140 firefighters, five aircraft and six helicopters.

Last Friday, the Greek News Agency ANA-MPA reported that 27 fires had broken out across the country in 24 hours. On July 9, the daily tally was 29 fires – even a children’s hospital and a senior citizens’ home were evacuated in the town of Partes. In addition, the European Commission redirected four Greek aircraft on Wednesday to the border with Albania, where forests are also burning.

It is hardly surprising that summer in Greece is full of restrictions. As a preventive measure, car traffic is banned in forests, national parks and other high-risk areas. Authorities also warn against grilling, burning vegetation and using appliances that can generate sparks.

Greeks are running out of water

The climate crisis is also taking its toll on Greece’s water resources. After a record-breaking warm winter, which did not bring the snow desired in the mountains, came long months without rain. Already in late June in the southwestern Peloponnese, taps in many homes remained empty for several days, and residents of the region were advised to conserve water. Water was delivered to the retention tank in Kitries by tanker trucks.

On the popular island of Naxos, the largest reservoir has dried up – all that’s left is mud and turtles wading in it. Seawater has begun to leak into empty wells, threatening the potato crop, the most important local crop, which is included in the EU’s register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).

Greece’s dry summer is also taking its toll on the tourism industry, which is the livelihood of many Mediterranean islands. In Karpathos, the authorities have already banned the filling of swimming pools. The situation is also difficult on Thasos, which is popular with tourists, where drinking water is beginning to run out. According to Greece’s leading newspaper Kathimerini, individual local governments are pushing hard for seawater desalination facilities. Three such units are already operating on Naxos, but they only cover the needs of households and hotels – farmers have been left without assistance.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage not only of water, but also of desalination equipment. Their leading Greek manufacturer, Sychem, is complaining of a shortage of components and promises to assemble new units only in the fall. A similar deficit was also observed in Italy and Spain.

Scientists at the drought observatory operating under the European project Copernicus Crisis Management Services warn that this is not the last such summer in Greece and it will only get worse. There is, however, some optimism in the agreement signed in the first week of July between the Athens water and sewerage company EYDAP and the European Investment Bank. It concerns the implementation of a 10-year, €2 billion investment to improve the Greek capital’s resilience to water deficits.