Greece shuts the Acropolis due to high temperatures
A Culture Ministry archaeological service announced the closure between 1 p.m. — 5 p.m. (1000 GMT—1400 GMT).
Mandatory work breaks were imposed in several other regions, mostly on islands and parts of central Greece, where temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The measures started Monday for outdoor workers. Those who don't comply face a 2,000 euro ($2,350) fine per worker.
Authorities said the risk of wildfires, already at 'very high' across the eastern mainland, is expected to increase during the week.
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Travel + Leisure
an hour ago
- Travel + Leisure
I Cruised Through 5 Countries in 10 Days With Just a Carry-on—Thanks to These 15 Travel Essentials, From $14
After spending 24 hours in Nice, I set sail from Monte Carlo for 10 days of Mediterranean exploration, and my packing strategy made all the difference. As a die-hard carry-on-only traveler, I'm super intentional about what I bring on trips. And since this was my first cruise as an adult (and my second cruise ever), crafting the perfect packing list was a fun challenge to tackle. From wandering the streets of French cities like Eze to exploring the winding streets of towns in the Amalfi Coast, with a stop in Turkey and our final destination in Athens, going on the Regent Seven Seas cruise required travel outfits that worked for elegant ship dining and coastal adventures off-ship. The key to success was focusing on items that were cute, comfortable, and versatile. When I got home, I felt proud of my packing list and wrote it all down to share with my cruise-loving friends. Here's exactly what made it into my suitcase—and what you should pack for your own Mediterranean cruise. This button-up shirt is consistently my ultimate travel multitasker, bridging the gap between casual and sophisticated outfits throughout. The flowy silhouette keeps me cool during hot afternoons, but the crisp fabric looks polished enough for ship dining and evening strolls. What I love the most about this shirt is how it never looks sloppy despite its relaxed fit. The structure of this shirt really helps maintain its shape, even after you sweat in it and wash it, and it was ideal for unpredictable Mediterranean weather days when temperatures could swing dramatically between morning and evening. I like to layer it over tank tops during cooler mornings, and the long sleeves gave me great sun protection during days of sightseeing without feeling heavy or restrictive. Calpak's five-piece packing cube set is a cruise packing game-changer, especially when you're bringing a carry-on instead of checking your luggage (psst: Travel + Leisure readers also love this $25 set from Amazon). The variety of sizes means you can dedicate different cubes to specific needs. I picked one for swimwear and cover-ups, another for dinner outfits, and smaller ones for my underwear and bras. When you're living out of a cruise cabin for 10 days and want to quickly unpack and explore, these are perfect for keeping you organized. What's more, these cubes kept everything relatively wrinkle-free and accessible, and the breathable mesh tops let you see exactly what's inside each cube. Plus, they did an excellent job of compressing my clothes efficiently, which left room in my suitcase for all the ceramics I bought while I was exploring the small towns in the Amalfi Coast. I'm completely obsessed with DL1961's Tank, and I genuinely couldn't stop wearing it throughout the cruise. It's a splurge, but it's well worth it (for $15, you can also snag this lookalike from Amazon). This isn't just another basic black tank. It's handcrafted by knitwear artisans in Rome using ethically sourced, sustainable wool blend yarns, and this semi-sheer knit and elegant neckline elevated every outfit I paired it with. I dressed it up for dinner with linen pants and kept it more casual with shorts for ship exploring. The fact that it's made in Rome made wearing it while cruising the Mediterranean feel even more special. Cruises are carefree, but you'll still need something to keep track of your state card, sunscreen, and other daily essentials. That's where a reliable sling bag like this Higouta crossbody comes in handy. It's small enough not to weigh you down while being spacious enough to carry everything you need for the day, whether you're hitting the pool deck or meeting the group for an off-shore excursion. Plus, it drapes close to your body and is stocked with discreet zippers for extra peace of mind when you're on the move. While I'm all about an intentional and worth-it splurge, sometimes the best travel pieces are the most basic ones. For me, it's Target's $8 Universal Thread black cotton tee, but for other travelers, it's Cotton On's All Day Crew Tee. Whichever you choose, you'll be delighted to know that you've picked your new suitcase MVP. Mine was a go-to layering piece that worked with a cute jacket for dinner or on its own when I was bopping around the Amalfi Coast during the day, helping me create multiple outfits with just one staple piece. I impulsively bought the blue Jeffrey Campbell Jellz Slip-on Shoes before my trip, and I'm so glad I did. They became my go-to footwear for casual moments aboard the ship, and honestly, I wish I'd bought and packed a second pair. These '90s-inspired jelly shoes with their diamond-gridded uppers are a fun, nostalgic throwback that proved to be super practical for cruise life. The breathable material kept my feet comfortable while I explored the ship's decks, and the slip-on design made them perfect for transitions. I love how effortlessly they worked for ship activities while still looking fun and cute. Whether I was grabbing coffee at the café to shamelessly squeeze in a little work or lounging by the pool, I opted for the super comfortable Jellz. An added bonus: The flexibility of the material made them super easy to pack in my suitcase, and I stuffed them with socks to make the most of my limited luggage space. This little Jisulife handheld fan became an absolute lifesaver during sweltering Mediterranean afternoons when the heat was almost unbearable. The three-in-one design is genius, providing instant cooling relief during long walks through Turkish markets and the Amalfi Coast. I used it all day without worrying about it dying when I needed it most, and the compact pocket design made it easy to slip into my day bag without adding bulk. Beyond just keeping me cool during hot shore excursions, the flashlight feature came in handy during evening walks through dimly lit European streets, and the light green color is super cute and made it easy to spot in my bag. Plus, it's surprisingly powerful. If you're someone who documents every moment of your travels (guilty as charged), a high-capacity portable charger is absolutely essential. The UGreen 100W Power Bank became my lifeline during my trip, especially when I spent entire days off the ship exploring. This powerhouse can keep your iPhone and laptop charged for five to seven days without needing to hunt for outlets, which is incredibly impressive and helpful, especially if you're working at all from the ship. It charges super quickly, bringing my iPhone to 60 percent in just 30 minutes, which is perfect if you just want to power up quickly on the ship during breakfast without leaving your phone in your room. The device's three-port design lets you charge multiple devices at the same time, which is great if you have a digital camera with you, too. I am completely in love with DL1961's Hepburn wide-leg high-rise jeans. They fit so perfectly, and I found myself reaching for them constantly during my cruise. The high-rise waistband sits exactly where it should without digging in or gaping, while the relaxed fit through the hips and thighs provides incredible comfort for long days of exploring. I truly tell all of my friends to buy these jeans because they're unlike any other pair I own. The wide-leg silhouette gives them an almost trouser-like look that is perfect for blending in during European travels, and these jeans manage to be incredibly comfortable while still looking polished and intentional—a difficult feat in the denim world. These palazzo pants were a dream. They nearly felt like pajamas, which I absolutely loved, and were the perfect combination of comfort and effortless style for hot weather exploring. They're made from a lightweight blend that feels like linen, which kept me cool and sweat-free during sweltering afternoons without having to worry about wrinkles. The high-waisted design with the drawstring is both flattering and comfortable (there's nothing I hate more than dealing with an uncomfortable, tight waistband cutting in after a big dinner on the ship or a long day of sightseeing). I dressed them up with a nice top for dinner and kept them casual with a tank for daytime activities. The fewer outfits you have to plan, the better, which is why I always reach for matching sets like this one from Amazon-loved brand Exlura. Together, the duo makes the perfect cruise outfit for daily activities (and a great swim cover-up, I might add). Apart, you can mix and match the top with your favorite shorts, pants, and skirts to dress them up, while the set's shorts can be saved for a versatile tank, T-shirt, or blouse. Another perk? The striped design plays up the nautical theme without being too camp. Walking countless miles exploring Mediterranean ports, Hoka's Vibrant Bloom Clifton Sneakers were essential for feeling comfortable. The strategic off-white color with subtle floral embroidery strikes the perfect balance between sporty and stylish, which was perfect for long adventure-focused walks or lunch on the ship while we were at sea. The matte texture hardly shows dirt, even after full days of sightseeing across multiple countries (snag the rest of the Clifton colorways on sale at Amazon, or upgrade to the Clifton 10s). The shoes have amazing cushioning that provides serious support, which was ideal for long walks in Athens. I rocked them on cobblestone streets and the ship deck on cooler days; they were perfect transition shoes when we were docked, and I went from a day of exploring to dinner and an evening stroll. For extra cushioning, I paired them with my trusty Bombas ankle socks, which are specially designed to deliver long-lasting arch support on heavy walking days. The Exquise Tobi shirt dress was perfect for days when I wanted to look effortlessly dressed up without trying too hard or sacrificing comfort. The exaggerated sleeves and pleats at the waist are incredibly flattering and perfect for photos, and the dress still feels refined with the classic shirt collar. The side seam pockets were great for keeping my phone and room key close to me while I was exploring, and the button front made it easy to adjust the neckline throughout the day. I wore it for hours without feeling restricted. What more can you ask for? It was perfect for those moments when I want to look cute without overthinking my outfit. If $178 is a little steep, check out this lookalike version at Amazon that's on sale for $31. Despite being a new addition to the retailer's fashion catalog, it's already racking up an impressive amount of five-star ratings, and it comes in 10 colors and patterns. There's something so satisfying about finding heels that actually deliver on both style and comfort, and Jeffrey Campbell's Bubblegum block heels quickly earned their spot as my most-worn dress shoes on and off the Mediterranean cruise, from elegant ship dinners to waterfront restaurants in Italian coastal towns—sans the blisters. For extra comfort and walkability, there are the Crocs Brooklyn Platform Sandals, which are on sale in their classic design). You can get away with wearing from day to night thanks to their low-profile look and memory foam, arch-supporting insoles. One of my smartest packing decisions was bringing these Nike shorts to wear under every dress and skirt. As someone who loves to blend in and look cute while exploring pieces but hates the discomfort that comes with walking miles in dresses, these shorts were my secret weapon for staying comfortable during long days. The 5-inch inseam hits the perfect sweet spot. It's long enough to provide full coverage and protection, but short enough to stay discreet under even shorter dresses, and I loved that I didn't have to deal with any rolling or shifting throughout the day, which is crucial when you're constantly moving. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Unhealthy smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets the Upper Midwest when people want to be outside
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Much of the Upper Midwest on Saturday was dealing with swaths of unhealthy air because of drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires, covering the northern region of the U.S. at a time when people want to be enjoying lakes, trails and the great outdoors. Most of Minnesota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin were ranked 'unhealthy' for air quality on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency map. Part of North Dakota that is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and other tourist attractions was ranked 'very unhealthy,' some of the worst air quality in the nation. In Minnesota, 'If you have a nice pork loin you can hang from a tree, it'll turn into ham,' quipped Al Chirpich, owner of the Hideaway Resort near Detroit Lakes, where people come to enjoy tree-lined Island Lake for fishing and other water activities. Normally there would be boats and jet skis all over, but on Saturday he couldn't see a boat on the lake, where the smoke impaired visibility and curtailed his camper business. None of his 18 RV sites was occupied. His seven rental cabins drew a handful of customers. 'I suspect when the weather clears, we'll be swamped again. Fourth of July, I had probably 20 boats here lined up at my docks, and today my boat is the only one,' Chirpich said. The conditions started Friday, dragging smoke from the Canadian wildfires down to the surface, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Jennifer Ritterling, in Grand Forks. Periods of bad air quality are expected to last through the weekend in the region, she said. Limiting time outdoors, keeping windows closed and running air purifiers are good ideas for people with lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even healthy people, Ritterling said. 'Our summers up here are fairly short and so everyone wants to get out and enjoy them, and it's a little frustrating when there's this smoke in the air,' she said. Fires in Canada prompt state of emergency for some All of Manitoba is under a state of emergency because of the wildfires, which have led to 12,600 people evacuating their homes in the province. The fires in the central Canadian province have burned over 3,861 square miles (10,000 square kilometers), the most land burned in 30 years of electronic record-keeping. Under 1,000 people have evacuated their homes in Saskatchewan, where wildfires also continue to burn. North Rim in Grand Canyon still closed In Arizona, the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park is still closed because of a 2.3 square-mile (6.1 square-kilometer) wildfire and another fire nearby on Bureau of Land Management land that has burned nearly 17 square miles (44 square kilometers). More than 200 firefighters and support personnel worked to halt the uncontained fire Saturday as it burned across a high-altitude plateau between the communities of Lonesome, White Sage and Jacob Lake. In Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remains closed because of a 4.4-square-mile (11.3-square-kilometer) wildfire burning on the South Rim of the park, known for its dramatic, steep cliffs. A few miles from the fire, an evacuation was ordered for the community of Bostwick Park, and a nearby highway also was shut. The fires in and near both national parks led to evacuations of hundreds of people. Chirpich, the Minnesota resort owner, said he has plans to go to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Thursday and is 'a bit pensive about how that's going to be there.' 'I'm going to leave one smokehouse for another, I guess,' he said.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Extreme weather is the UK's new normal, says Met Office
The UK is breaking heat and rainfall records increasingly frequently as its climate continues to warm, the Met Office has warned. The country's changing weather patterns mean the UK now experiences a "notably different" climate to what it was just a few decades ago, its State of the UK Climate report says. We now have many more very hot days and many fewer extremely cold nights, according to this latest assessment. It shows just how much global warming caused by the vast emissions of greenhouse gases our civilisation creates is reshaping the country's climate. Climate change is bringing more severe weather events like storms and flooding - and inevitably the country's changing climate is having an impact on the natural world, with some species suffering. The report focuses on 2024, when the UK experienced its second warmest February, warmest May, warmest spring, fifth warmest December, and fifth warmest winter since records began in 1884. The Met Office highlights that some of these records have already been surpassed in 2025 - more evidence of this trend towards more extreme weather. This summer many parts of the country are in the throes of their third heatwave with very warm weather reaching into Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as southern England. The first hosepipe ban of the year was imposed in Yorkshire last week following England's warmest June on record, which came after the country's driest and sunniest spring for 132 years. Yorkshire and the north west of England were declared in official drought by the Environment Agency in June. At least one region is expected to be added to the list when the UK's National Drought Group meets on Tuesday. Mike Kendon, a Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the State of the UK Climate report, said: "Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on. "Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago." As an island squeezed between the vast Atlantic Ocean and continental Europe, the UK sits at the intersection of a whole series of major air masses. That's why the country's climate is so changeable and that variability also makes mapping some climate changes more difficult. Rainfall patterns fluctuate much more than temperature, the Met Office says, but it finds that, as well as warming up, the UK is also getting wetter, with rainfall increasing significantly during the winter. Between October and March, rainfall in 2015-2024 was 16% higher than in 1961–1990, it says. Behind all these changes is the relentless rise in average temperatures driven by climate change, the Met Office says. Global temperatures have risen by over 1.3C since the industrial revolution as humans continue to release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. The Met Office calculates that the UK is warming at a rate of around 0.25C per decade, with the 2015-2024 period 1.24C warmer than the period between 1961-1990. As the UK's national weather service, the Met Office is the custodian of the Central England Temperature record, the longest running weather record in the world, based on measurements taken using thermometers and other instruments. It spans from 1659 to the present and it shows that recent warming has far exceeded any observed temperatures in over 300 years. The last three years have been in the UK's top five warmest on record, with 2024 the fourth warmest year in records dating back to 1884. Even a small shift in temperatures can significantly increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, as the graph below shows. Look how, as the distribution of temperatures shifts, those that were previously extreme are brought into the range and new extremes become significantly more likely. We are often talking about how it used to be colder back in the day. Well that is borne out by the Met Office's data. We really are getting increasingly fewer cold days. The Met Office says there were 14 fewer days with air frosts – when the air temperature falls below zero - in the last decade compared to the period 1931 to 1990. As in recent years, floods and storms caused the worst severe weather damage to the UK last year. A series of named storms that pummelled the UK beginning in the autumn of 2023 helped cause widespread flooding in early January. That contributed to the wettest winter half year – October 2023 to March 2024 - in over 250 years. Areas particularly badly hit by flooding included eastern Scotland, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands, with some places recording three to four times their usual rainfall for September. In early January of 2024 the Royal Shakespeare Company had to cancel performances for two evenings in a row because of flooding in Stratford-upon-Avon. In November a wall collapsed in Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire after water in a local brook rose, flooding the town centre. Met Office Chief Scientist Professor Stephen Belcher said the evidence of the impacts climate change is already bringing showed the urgent need for the UK to adapt to cope with future extremes. "The climate is likely to continue to change, and we need to prepare for the impacts this will have on the weather we experience," he said. For the first time this report highlights that UK sea level is rising faster than the global average. As sea levels continue to rise around the UK, the risk of flooding is only going to increase further, says Dr Svetlana Jevrejeva from the National Oceanography Centre. "We know from historical events it is only a matter of time until the UK is next in the path of a major storm surge event," she said. Inevitably the UK's changing climate is having an impact on the natural world. Spring in 2024 was earlier than the average for 12 of the 13 spring events on record and was the earliest in the series from 1999 for both frogspawn appearing and blackbirds nesting. The timing of seasonal activity in plants and animals is known as phenology and is collected by a network of volunteers coordinated by the Nature's Calendar citizen science project. The changing pattern of natural events can have a huge impact. Dormice and hedgehogs – two of the UK's most threatened mammals – are particularly affected when the weather is very warm, for example. Fruits and nuts ripen earlier in hot weather and that means fewer are available in the autumn when these animals are trying to build up the reserves of fat they need to see them through winter. At the Alice Holt forest research centre outside London they are investigating how our trees and forests can be made more resilient to the country's future climate. The sad fact is that many of our current tree species just can't cope, says Dr Gail Atkinson, the head of Climate Change Science at the centre. "After a drought you can see reduced growth, so trees aren't growing as we would expect them to," she says. "If you look up in the canopy you can see the leaves looking a little bit raggedy and there are other signs of stress as you're walking through the woodland including extreme examples you might find that the trees have actually died." Studies at Alice Holt show one species that could do well as the UK continues to get hotter and wetter are coastal redwoods from California. It has been growing trees from different latitudes for the last 60 years to see how they fare in the UK climate. It means that, in the decades to come, the world's tallest trees could become a common sight here in the UK. A simple guide to climate change Four ways climate change worsens extreme weather What you can do to reduce carbon emissions Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
