ATHENS – Consecutive years of long heatwaves in Greece that have brought worries the country could become too hot for tourists  could see the average temperature in Athens jump more than 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by 2070.

The rise could begin by 2041 and is compared to the period from 1971-2000, with the aggravating circumstances being climate change essentially ignored by world governments and the urban heat island phenomenon.

That was the finding of research conducted by Constantinos Cartalis of the University of Athens, a member of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.

The study, part of the Climpact II project, is based on the new worst-case scenario from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and comes after Greek officials said global warming is a danger for the country.

The rise, some 3.5 degrees Celsius, would pose thermal risks in the Greek capital over the three-decade period with the city and surrounding areas already undergoing smothering heat in the summer.

Cartalis told the state’s Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that the prefecture of Attica, which includes Athens, is reflecting broader trends in the Southeastern Mediterranean, with longer durations of heat.

He said that’s because of human-created global warming over the past 150 years with industrialization and use of fossil fuels and as governments around the world have largely passed window dressing measures failing to deal with it.

He said that cities are especially susceptible because there’s little greenery – especially in Athens which is a concrete city with almost no rooftop solar panels or plant to reflect heat and absorb carbon dioxide.

Urban settings also have heat sources from cars and emissions, industry and buildings and take longer to cool than rural areas, especially at night, with cities having traffic into the early morning hours.

Heat waves also increase electricity consumption with air conditioning that has become a must for many people, especially the elderly who especially suffer from heat symptoms in the summer.

Studies show that electricity consumption in Athens increases by 4.1 percent for each additional degree Celsius, while high and extreme temperatures can raise mortality rates among people over 65 by 20 and 35 percent.