It’s not in Spain or Italy: This is the hottest city in Europe, where temps go over 105°F and it’s packed with tourists

Tourist numbers hit an historic high in Athens in 2024 with nearly eight million foreign visitors over the course of the year - a 12 percent increase on the previous year and a quarter more than the 2018 figures.

And of course that was great news for the Greek economy - tourism across the whole country boosted the coffers by 21.7 billion euros ($22.6 billion) - another record.

Scorching summer heat in Athens

But foreign visitor numbers are not the only thing that has been trending upwards. Last summer was the hottest on record, with an average temperature of 26.2 degrees Celsius - one degree warmer than the previous high set in in 2012.

June and July were the warmest months since records began in 1960 and August was the second hottest behind August 2021, according to Greece’s national observatory.

And there was little respite even at night, when temperatures barely dropped - the average was 4.8 degrees Celsius hotter than the 30-year mean.

Summer officially gets underway on Sunday with temperatures set to rise to 28°C (82.5°F) and thermometers continuing to climb throughout the rest of next week.

With its Mediterranean climate, Athens has always endured sweltering summers - with humidity hitting around 54% which can make it even more uncomfortable.

Europe’s hottest cities

Whether Athens can boast the honor of being the hottest city in Europe is the subject of great debate but it’s certainly up there, along with Valletta (Malta), Podgorica (Montenegro), Rome (Italy), Tirana (Albania) and Madrid (Spain). Every summer is different. But out of all of Europe’s capital cities, it is probably the hottest on average with July and August the months with the most searing heat.

In a bid to combat extreme summer temperatures and rising pollution, Athens mayor Haris Doukas has promised to plant 25,000 trees in a five-year program to create “cool routes” of shade connecting Athens’ streets, parks and urban hills.

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