Heat wave stretches Greek power sources

Much of south-eastern Europe baked in record hot temperatures today and electricity resources were being stretched to cover heightened demand during the summer’s first major heat wave.

Parts of Greece suffered blackouts for the fourth day running, and state-run Public Power Corporation appealed to the public not to waste energy during midday hours of what is becoming the hottest June in decades.

The northern city of Thessaloniki suffered power cuts again today, while some Athens suburbs suffered cuts yesterday, as did several central provinces.

The eastern island of Mytilene was without power on Wednesday.

Power officials have been boosting imports and drawing down hydroelectric reservoirs to avert bigger problems – and to avoid a repeat of the massive pre-Olympics blackout that hit Athens in July 2004.

Several areas of Greece reached 40C (104F) today, topped by a beach on Rhodes island where the thermometer hit 45C (113F) according to state NET television.

Many parts of the country are expected to reach 43C (109.4F) this weekend, some of the highest temperatures since the record-breaking summer of 1987.