Fifteen-day heat wave longest recorded

The 15-day heat wave that ended on Wednesday evening, July 26, was the longest one recorded in the country, the National Observatory of Athens' weather service Meteo.gr has said.

The heat wave comprised three phases: from July 12 to 15, from July 18 to 23 and from July 23 to 26.

The hottest day recorded across the country was on July 23, when 350 weather stations recorded temperatures in excess of the heatwave threshold (37 degrees Celsius) and 180 stations registered 40 degrees or higher.

That day saw almost the entire population of the country affected by temperatures of 40 degrees or higher.

The temperature of 46.4 degrees recorded in Gythio, in the Peloponnese, on July 23 was the fourth highest temperature recorded in the country since records began.

All regions of the country, with the exception of the Ionian and Aegean islands, broke the...