A number of villages have been evacuated and one women in her 90s was burned alive in her home where she had stayed despite warnings to leave. This latest death is in addition to the four people confirmed dead in Greece as a result of the heat wave. In the capital Athens pollution levels are dangerously high, and smog has been made even worse by a toy factory fire on Thursday, which unleashed thick black smoke from burning plastic into the air. The Greek government had already activated its Xenocrates emergency plan requiring all state buildings to provide air conditioned spaces to the public several weeks ago. Public beaches have also stayed open late into the night to provide a way for people to cool off.
Hospitals are on full alert with all leave having been cancelled for ambulance drivers.
Problems could intensify in Greece this week as garbage collectors threaten to proceed with their strike, despite a government order for civil mobilisation. The prospect of rotting garbage on the city streets will pose a serious health risk under conditions of the excessive heat. Meteorologists say the heat wave is due to masses of hot air coming from the Sahara Desert and moving north into the region. Most say there will be no letup in the temperatures until the middle of this week at the earliest.