Natural disasters

Beyond any inadequacies of the state in handling them, the intensity of the wildfires in Greece and the extent of the damage they caused, combined with the weather conditions, show that this is not a crisis that will simply pass.

Pope Francis urged governments to do more to fight climate change and protect "our common home" as improving weather conditions Friday helped firefighters contain wildfires in Greece, Italy and other countries in southern Europe.

Temperatures receded slightly on Monday but areas in Greece remained in the midst of a heatwave with high temperatures in several regions of the country. According to automated weather stations operated by the National Observatory of Athens and meteo.gr, 32 of these stations recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.

Derek Gatopoulos, a correspondent for the Associated Press who has been covering news in Greece for more than 25 years, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest updates on the wildfires Greece has been facing this week, and to look at how Greece and Athens are coping with the intense and prolonged heat wave.

Greece will face not one but two heatwave episodes by the end of July, meteorologists warn. Temperatures are set to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in several regions Thursday. The Athens area will see 40C, while in the interior of the Central Greece and Thessaly regions, it will reach 43C. Temperatures are set to climb even higher from Friday to Sunday.

A heat wave engulfing southern Europe this week is expected to send temperatures close to record highs in some areas, prompting officials in Italy, Greece, Spain and elsewhere to impose measures to protect residents and tourists from the scorching conditions.

The heat wave in Europe continues today, with peak temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius expected in the afternoon in southern parts - for example on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Although slight, a decrease is expected tomorrow in the Mediterranean region.

Soaring summer temperatures across southern Europe could prompt a lasting shift in tourist habits, with more travelers choosing cooler destinations or taking their holidays in spring or autumn to dodge the extreme heat, tourism bodies and experts predict.

Tens of millions of people were battling dangerously high temperatures around the world on Sunday as record heat forecasts hung over parts of the United States, Europe and Asia, in the latest example of the threat from global warming.

Over nine million people in Greece experienced temperatures of over 39 degrees Celsius during the "Kleon" heat wave on Friday, according to data from Meteo.gr, the National Observatory of Athens weather service.