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full screen A crowded beach in Greece on July 14, where the heat came unusually early this year. The authorities are now issuing a warning about the risk of water shortages. Photo: Yorgos Karahalis/AP/TT
After the warmest winter and the earliest heat wave on record, Greek authorities are warning of the risk of water shortages this summer.
The capital Athens’ primary water reserve is down to levels 30 percent lower than the same time last year.
“Would you like some water? Turn off the tap!” reads a call to the city’s residents.
Elsewhere in the Greek archipelago, the situation is even more acute. Many of the islands depend on wells and desalination plants to meet their water needs, and the pressure on the islands increases as tourists travel to Greece.
In some places, the need for water in the summer is “100 times greater than in the winter”, says an expert that the news agency AFP spoke to.