The skies over Athens have turned an orange hue as clouds of dust cross the Mediterranean Sea from the Sahara Desert.
Strong southern winds blew clouds of dust from North Africa and enveloped the Acropolis and other monuments in Greece capital on Tuesday.
The Greek capital turned orange under the clouds of dust from the Sahara. Photo: Reuters
People posted images of the orange haze on X, formerly Twitter, saying they had witnessed the “strangest sky.”
One person in Athens posted images of their windshield covered in sand.
Another called the scene “apocalyptic” and posted images of their surroundings on the social media platform.
Skies are expected to clear on Wednesday as winds shift and move dust, and temperatures drop.
Tourists visit Filopappou Hill overlooking the Acropolis. Photo: Reuters
On Tuesday, the daily maximum temperature in parts of the southern island of Crete exceeded 30°C, more than 20°C higher than that 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.
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The fire service reported on Tuesday night that a total of 25 bushfires had broken out across the country in 24 hours.
Three people were arrested on the Aegean resort island of Paros on suspicion of accidentally starting a bush fire on Monday, it 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.
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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.