UPDATE 1-Wildfires slowly abate in Greece but temperatures rise

Wildfires across Greece slowly abated on Thursday after razing swathes of forest and dozens of homes in the past days, but temperatures rose, threatening new outbreaks in the tinderbox conditions. With temperatures expected to hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days, the Culture Ministry said all archaeological sites, including the Acropolis monument, will shut between 12 noon and 5.30 p.m. (0900-1430 GMT) until July 23. The country has just recovered from the first major heatwave of the summer before temperatures rose again on Thursday, reaching 40C in some areas.