Great heatwave hits Athens – Thermal camera recorded a surface temperature of 72 °C

Drone flights over the neighborhoods of Athens using a thermal camera were carried out by the Up Stories team in collaboration with meteo.gr on Friday, June 25, 2021 for the mapping of the neighborhoods that contribute to the urban heat island.

In the footage of the video you will watch some snapshots from Syngrou Avenue and the neighborhoods between Fix and Amfithea.

The highest surface temperatures recorded by the thermal camera were 72 °C.

The road temperature of Syngrou Avenue in Fix reached 47 °C and in the area of Amfithea 44 °C, when, at the same time, the air temperature, according to the meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr, was 37 °C near the center of Athens and 31 °C in the coastal areas.

The highest temperatures were recorded on low-traffic streets and on the roofs of old buildings that dispose air-conditioning units.

From the data collected, it is easy to understand the great importance that is given to the use of cold materials in the construction of  buildings and floors in the city. These materials are meant to contribute to reducing heat dissipation in the air near the ground, and therefore, they contribute to the reduction of the phenomenon of the urban heat island.