Greece is continuing to battle five major wildfires across the country amid a severe heatwave, with extreme temperatures expected to persist.
Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C (111.2F) on Sunday, as firefighters focus their efforts on two major fires on the islands of Kythira and Evia.
Fire brigade spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyannis said the situation had improved after an “all night battle”, but warned that the risk of new fires on Sunday remained “extremely dangerous”.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Turkey has recorded its highest ever temperature as fires raged in several regions.
Greece’s climate crisis and civil protection minister Giannis Kefalogiannis previously said: “We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed.”
High winds continued to fan the flames on Sunday. Greece has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for six firefighting aircraft.
In Kythira, a blaze spread rapidly after breaking out on Saturday morning in the village of Pitsinades. According to initial estimates, about 20% of the island has been affected by the fire.
New evacuation alerts were issued on Sunday ordering residents of several villages to leave.
Local authorities said there were signs of improvement on Sunday, but a significant risk of flare-ups remained due to strong winds.
Credit: bbc.com
