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As the tragic death of Dr Michael Moseley makes headlines in the UK, at least four tourists have died in recent weeks on the beautiful Greek islands hit by a heatwave that meteorologists say will “go down in history”.
In some areas, people have been told to stay indoors between 11am and 3pm amid the scorching early summer heat amid fears of death from heatstroke.
Experts say the heatwave could be a devastating harbinger of coming summers, putting Greece on the front line of global warming. Greece’s longest ever heatwave was recorded in July last year, lasting 16 days.
For the latest updates on the search for the missing tourists, click here.
Michael Mosley was found dead on the island of Symi after going on a hike in scorching heat (BBC)
Last week, authorities closed the Acropolis in Athens for several afternoons as temperatures soared to 43 degrees Celsius (104.4 Fahrenheit). Schools and nurseries were also closed.
“This heatwave will go down in history. In the 20th century there had never been a heatwave before June 19. In the 21st century there have been several, but never before June 15,” meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told Greek state television ERT.
Several tourists have died or gone missing while hiking as temperatures soared. According to the Athens National Observatory, the highest temperature in Greece (43.2°C) was recorded in Lefkohori, Phthiotis, in central Greece, followed by Sparta in the southern Peloponnese with 43.1°C.
Dr Mosley’s body was found on the island of Symi earlier this month after an extensive search, with the coroner concluding that he died shortly after hiking across rugged, rocky terrain on June 5.
Rescue teams searching the cave network on the island of Samos (Samos Greek Rescue Team)
His death has sparked widespread tributes in the UK, but he is not the only victim of this month’s heatwave.
Searchers found the body of a 55-year-old American tourist on the small Greek island of Matraki on Sunday. Police officials told Reuters on Monday that the body would be transferred to Corfu where an autopsy would be carried out.
Meanwhile, the body of a missing Dutch tourist was found on the eastern Greek island of Samos on Saturday. The 74-year-old man had recently moved to the island and was reported missing by his wife. The body was found in a ravine about half a mile from Limnionas. Locals had seen the tourist, who has not yet been named, walking with great difficulty in the scorching heat.
On June 5, another Dutch tourist, aged 67, collapsed and died of a heart attack while crossing the Myron Gorge in Rethymno, Crete, in temperatures reaching 40°C.
People on the island of Samos search for missing Dutch tourist (Greek rescue team on Samos)
The next day on the same island, a 70-year-old French tourist died while walking along a deserted beach between Kremenos and Zakros in Sitia. Paramedics managed to reach her but were unable to save her life.
“There is a common pattern: they had all gone hiking in high temperatures,” South Aegean police spokesman Petros Vasilakis told Reuters.
Dimitris Karatsis, head of the rescue team on Samos, said rescue efforts were often hampered by tourists who often got lost and strayed from the road while touring tourist sites, unaware of the dangers.
He told local media: “Yesterday we saw a couple [of foreigners] “Walking down trail 41C without a hat. It defies logic.”
Ambulances and firefighters arrive on the beach of Symi on Sunday (AP)
Rescue teams are searching for two French women, aged 64 and 73, who are believed to have known each other and were staying in different hotels on the Cyclades island of Sikinos.
“Two search operations are underway on other islands. Police, firefighters and volunteers have been deployed and are being assisted by drones and rescue dogs,” Vasilakis said.
Nicknamed the “Island of Wine,” Sikyonos has a population of just 386 and is one of the less visited islands in the Aegean.
Firefighters, who extinguished several wildfires on Wednesday, remained on high alert as strong winds were expected to batter several parts of the country.
Athens’ ancient Acropolis closed by authorities after temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius (AP)
Athens, a city of 5 million people packed with apartment buildings in a coastal basin and surrounded by mountains on both sides, is one of the hottest cities in Europe.
Scientists have warned that the city’s summer temperatures could rise by an average of 2 degrees by 2050, and Mayor Harris Doukas is working to provide more shade by planting 2,000 trees.
Temperatures across the country will start to drop from Friday, with forecasters predicting temperatures will return to the average for this time of year of 31 to 33 degrees.
The Foreign Office said travellers heading to Greece “should exercise caution if they are in or near areas affected by the wildfires”.
It also states that tourists should:
Follow the instructions of the emergency services. If you are in immediate danger, call the Greek emergency services on 112. Contact your airline or travel agent who can assist you with your return journey to the UK.
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