The Foreign Office has issued a natural disaster warning for British tourists visiting Greece as the popular destination braces for more extreme weather this summer. The mainland and surrounding islands have been known to experience earthquakes, floods, wildfires, extreme heat, and storms.
Last year, temperatures in Athens got so high that the Acropolis had to be closed during the hottest hours of the day as tourists were fainting. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) latest guidelines, updated on April 2, warned that there is a particularly high risk of wildfires between April and October. It said: “Greece can experience extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat and flash floods.
“To be alerted to events near where you are located in Greece, register for alerts from the Greek Government’s Emergency Communication Service.”
If you have an iPhone, go to Settings, click Notifications, and enable “Emergency Alerts”.
If you have an Android, go to Settings, click Notifications, then Advanced Settings, then Wireless Emergency Alerts. This will only work for the 11 models and higher.
If you have a Samsung device, to Settings, click Apps, then Messages, the Notifications, the Emergency Notifications, and enable “Emergency Alerts”.
The FCDO added: “Register for Emergency alerts and follow ‘112 Greece’ on X for official updates. There is a high risk of wildfires from April to October in the summer.
“Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts and be warned of wildfires near your location. Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.”
