Greece has shut the ancient Acropolis to visitors, closed schools, and deployed medical personnel across Athens as it braces for the season’s first significant heatwave.

Temperatures are expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday and Thursday, spurred by warm southern winds carrying hot air and dust from North Africa.

The Acropolis hill, which features the renowned Parthenon temple, was closed from noon to 5pm (09:00-14:00 GMT) on Wednesday, with Red Cross personnel distributing water to tourists.

Many primary schools and nurseries nationwide have been instructed to shut down for two days.

Greece, heavily affected by the climate crisis, has faced rising temperatures that previously fueled deadly wildfires and caused unusual flooding, damaging crops and livelihoods.

Similar weather patterns last year affected much of southern Europe, including Portugal, France, Spain, and Italy, where fires led to multiple fatalities. In Greece, wildfires started earlier than anticipated this year, with one occurring in March.

Authorities have stepped up patrols of forests from both air and ground on Wednesday, preparing for the windy conditions expected later in the week, which could elevate fire risks.

Heatwaves surge in frequency and intensity

Following last year’s destructive wildfires, especially on Rhodes island, which prompted Greece’s largest peacetime evacuation, the country has bolstered its preparations by increasing its workforce and enhancing training.

Drones equipped with thermal cameras are being utilized in Athens to manage the public health response, officials stated.

Experts warn that heat poses one of the most lethal natural hazards; over 61,000 fatalities occurred during Europe’s record-breaking summer heatwave in 2022.

A combination of human-induced climate change and the natural El Nino phenomenon, which raises temperatures in various global regions, contributed to last summer’s record heights in parts of Europe.

As El Nino’s effects wane, scientists have indicated that climate change, primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, will lead to more frequent, severe, and hazardous heatwaves.

“Climate change globally is increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves,” remarked Akshay Deoras, a research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading, to Al Jazeera in 2023.

“It’s effectively turning heatwaves into extreme heatwaves.”