July was 'hottest on record'

Last month was the hottest July since 1880, according to Greek official records, with NASA data indicating that, on a global level, July was one of the hottest months on record.

With two back-to-back heat waves last month, temperatures reached nearly 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 Fahrenheit) on Crete.

"In early July we recorded a very significant heat wave with very high temperatures," meteorologist Dimitris Ziakopoulos told Kathimerini.

"This summer was significantly hotter than previous ones," Ziakopoulos added, noting that sweltering conditions continued through July and into August.