It’s getting hotter in city at night, study shows

Over a period of 40 years, from 1975 to 2015, Athens added 60 more hot nights, where the minimum temperature does not drop below 26 Celsius, a study by four researchers at the Athens Observatory shows.

Very high minimum temperatures mean that “humans cannot shed the thermal stress accumulated during the day, and [as a result] they get fatigued and their health put in danger,” says Dr Dimitra Founda, one of the study’s authors.

The effect is exacerbated by the well-known urban heat island that affects densely built urban areas. Athens’ coastal suburbs register minimums 5-7 degrees lower than the city center.