The skies over southern Greece took on an orange hue on Tuesday as clouds of dust blown across the Mediterranean Sea from northern Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks.
The strong southerly winds carried dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the atmosphere of the Greek capital a Martian filter in the last hours of the day. Skies are expected to clear on Wednesday as winds shift and move dust, and temperatures drop.
On Tuesday, the daily high in parts of the southern island of Crete exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), more than 20 degrees C higher than what was recorded in much of northern Greece. The strong southerly winds of recent days have also fueled the first out-of-season forest fires in the south of the country.
The fire service said on Tuesday night that a total of 25 bushfires had broken out across the country in the last 24 hours. Three people were arrested on the Aegean resort island of Paros on suspicion of accidentally starting a bush fire on Monday, he added.
No major damage or injuries were reported and the fire was quickly contained. Another fire that broke out in Crete near a naval base was brought under control on Tuesday. Greece suffers devastating and often deadly wildfires every summer, and last year the country recorded the largest wildfire in the European Union in more than two decades.
The persistent drought combined with high spring temperatures has raised fears of a particularly challenging period for firefighters in the coming months.
