Acropolis closes to protect tourists as Greece faces unprecedented heatwave

First-aid workers drafted in to treat visitors suffering effects of 48C - 118F -temperatures at the country's most visited monument

The Greeks know a thing or two about heat, and they know a thing or two about dealing with it. But last week saw heat of an altogether different order.

Temperatures were of such magnitude that they called for measures never before seen in a country that prides itself on being the first in Europe to have appointed an official dedicated solely to dealing with the challenges of global heating.