In July 2023, Greece underwent its longest recorded heat wave, straining resources in Athens and disrupting daily life. Garbage collectors halted activities to avoid heat-related illness, causing distress among residents and tourists. As wildfires broke out across the country due to dry conditions, the situation deteriorated. The heat wave concluded with the arrival of the summer Meltemi wind, yet the struggles of climate change remain visible. The author used these experiences to reflect on broader climate-induced dysfunction in the West, facing firsthand interactions with the consequences of extreme weather.
With the wind kicking up and the browning vegetation almost asking to burn after a rainless winter, the flames leapt like grasshoppers, from olive grove to greenhouses.
Ordinarily delightful Athenians were snappy and on edge. I saw three fights in a day, having never witnessed one in five previous years of residence there.
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