Large clouds of orange dust blown in from the Sahara have covered Athens and other Greek cities.
An amber haze has smothered various regions across the country after days of strong winds have blown over from the Mediterranean.
Landmarks including the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill, the Temple of Apollo and Tourkovounia Hill have all been painted orange by the Saharan winds.
It is one of the worst such episodes to hit Greece since 2018, according to officials.
An orange hue has smothered the skies over AthensReuters
It is one of the worst such episodes to hit Greece since 2018, according to officials
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Greece’s weather service said that the skies are predicted to clear later today as winds shift.
The rapid weather development resulted in soaring temperatures sweeping across the nation, with the mercury hitting 30C on the southern island of Crete – more than 20C higher than most of northern Greece.
Greeks with respiratory conditions have been told to avoid going outdoors where possible, wear protective masks, and limit physical activity under the haze clears.
The raging winds have also fanned unseasonal wildfires in the south of the country, with 25 breaking out in the past 24 hours according to the fire service.
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Tourists visit the Filipappou hill with the views of the Acropolis
Reuters
Three people were arrested on the island of Paros on suspicion of accidentally starting a scrub blaze on Monday, the service added.
The fire was quickly contained and no substantial damage or injuries were reported.
A separate blaze that broke out on Crete near a naval base was brought under control yesterday.
"It’s one of the most serious episodes of dust and sand concentrations from the Sahara since March 21-22, 2018, when the clouds invaded the island of Crete in particular,” said Kostas Lagouvardos, weather research director at the Athens Observatory.
A man takes pictures as African dust from the desert of Sahara covers the city of Athens
Reuters
The Sahara releases 60 to 200m tonnes of mineral dust every year. While the biggest particles come rapidly back down to earth, the smallest can travel thousands of kilometres, with the ability to reach all of Europe.
Last month, Greece was struck by Saharan clouds, which also smothered parts of Switzerland and southern France.
The country suffers devastating forest blazes every summer. Last year, Greece recorded the European Union’s largest wildfire in more than two decades.
Relentless droughts and high spring temperatures could lead to a particularly challenging period for firefighters in the coming months.
Greece suffers from devastating forest blazes every summer
Reuters