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Acts of kindness help Athenians cope with heatwave
Acts of kindness help Athenians cope with heatwave
By Burcin GERCEK
Athens (AFP) July 24, 2025

As temperatures inched towards 40C in Athens, a vegetable seller spontaneously handed a bottle of water to street musician Anna Gardere Nikolaki, a regular at this Athens food market.

"I feel like the heat brings us together," said the young performer after receiving the free water,

The city is in the middle of what is forecast to be a week-long heatwave. Nevertheless, she felt the sweltering conditions were fostering a sense of camaraderie.

Greece's climate monitor warned that temperatures would reach 43C in parts of the country on Thursday -- rising to 44C on Friday.

The authorities this week ordered the partial closure of the ancient Acropolis temple due to severe heat, for the second time this month.

To help workers cope, the labour ministry has suspended outdoor work between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm in most Greek regions, as part of emergency health measures.

Some cities have opened up air-conditioned public rooms and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has sent out teams of volunteers to hand out water at the Acropolis museum to sometimes overheated tourists.

- Air-conditioned shelters -

In Kypseli, one of Athens' oldest neighbourhoods with a high proportion of low-income families, not everyone can afford air conditioning, said Polixeni Della, head of Kypseli's municipal cultural centre for the elderly.

Since Monday, seven of these centres have been open in the city centre from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm to "offer air-conditioned spaces to citizens due to the very high temperatures", the Athens municipality said in a statement.

Nikolaos Dalamagkas, a 60-year-old homeless man, was among those who found refuge at the cultural center.

"I only come when it's very hot," he said.

"Here, it's not just homeless people. I also meet people who have no electricity because they can't pay their bills," he added.

The heatwave is not expected to ease in most Greek regions before Monday.

But residents and local businesses have also taken it upon themselves to rise to the challenge.

- Helping the elderly -

Air-conditioned pharmacies have become a popular haven during heatwaves, especially for the elderly.

Kypseli pharmacist Marina Kosta said senior citizens frequently drop in to "catch their breath, enjoy the air conditioning and then continue walking.

"They sometimes come saying they don't feel well and want us to check their blood pressure," she added.

In the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki -- the country's second largest -- one pharmacist said she had started delivering medication to local residents.

"Our customers, mainly elderly people and those with heart conditions, have stopped going out due to the very high temperatures, so we are providing them with everything they need at home to help them avoid the risks posed by excessive heat," said Stella Stergianou, the pharmacy's owner.

Others, like Andreas Papadimitriou, a 45-year-old tire repairman, have learned to soldier through regardless of the heat.

"I don't need it. Customers may complain, but not me," said Papadimitriou, who doesn't even have a fan in his workshop.

"I work all day, even without taking breaks during the hottest hours. You need endurance for this job," he said.

Much of the country has been placed under an elevated fire risk this week.

Already, since Tuesday, firefighters have been battling a major wildfire near the mountain village of Feneos in the Peloponnese.

More than 2,800 acres of forest and grassland burned, along with over 20 homes and warehouses, according to the climate observatory.

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