Tourists try to cool off outside the ancient Acropolis hill in Athens, Monday, July 23, 2018. Greece's foremost tourist attraction, the ancient Acropolis in Athens, is closed to visitors at midday due to forecast high temperatures. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greece: Heatwave closes Acropolis for several hours

ATHENS, Greece – The ancient Acropolis has been closed to visitors for three hours due to a heatwave in the Greek capital.

The Culture Ministry said the site in central Athens was closed Monday between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. local time. Under Greek law, public sites can be closed if temperatures reach 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 F).

Open from 8:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. (0600-1800 GMT), the Acropolis is Greece’s most popular ancient site, with more than 2.7 million visits last year.

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Abbey Westbury

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