Greece heatwave latest: New fire ‘every ten minutes’ amid hunt for arsonist and search for missing American
Searches ongoing for two French women and a retired US deputy county sheriff in Cyclades
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The Greek authorities are investigating whether wildfires that threatened to engulf Athens were sparked by a single arsonist.
Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson as well as extreme weather conditions.
A fire service spokesman has said the force is struggling to deal with the spate of blazes, adding: “Almost every 10 minutes a new fire breaks out.”
In Koropi, a storage facility and at least one home were burned, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages.
Amid the heatwave, several foreign tourists have died or gone missing while hiking in high temperatures. The girlfriend of a missing American tourist has criticised Greek authorities for allegedly doing little to help search for him.
Albert Calibet, 59, has been missing since last Tuesday while hiking on the island of Amorgos.
At least five tourists have been found dead on the Greek Islands in recent weeks.
Have you been affected by this? Email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk
Red weather warning issued for parts of Europe as Greece put on fire alert
Huge blaze closes town near Athens as Greece prepares for wildfire season
Inside Greece’s tourist tragedies as Michael Mosley and four others die over 11 days in 40C heatwave
Tourist missing in Greece sent worrying text to hotel owner
Who are police searching for?
Local police are searching for at least three tourists across two Greek islands amid soaring temperatures.
American holidaymaker Albert Calibet, 59, has been missing since last Tuesday while hiking on the island of Amorgos.
Two French women, aged 73 and 64, have also been missing since last Friday on the island of Sikinos.
Weather in Greece today
It is set to reach highs of 38C in parts of Greece today, as extreme temperatures continue to pose danger to holidaymakers.
Five tourists have been found dead in recent weeks as the search for at least three others missing for days after embarking on hikes continues.
The temperature in Athens is currently 31C but will reach 37C later in the day. In the port town of Katakolon, the heat will reach an unbearable 38C.
The UK Foreign Office offers wildfire advice to tourists
The UK Foreign Office has the following advice:
“Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly. Follow “112 Greece” on X (formerly known as Twitter) for official updates.
“You should:
- take care when visiting or driving through woodland areas
- make sure cigarette ends are properly extinguished
- not light barbecues
“Causing a forest fire is treated as a criminal offence in Greece even if unintentional. If you see a forest fire, call the emergency services on 112. Forest fires can also cause travel disruption in wider areas.
“Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. You should:
- follow the guidance of the emergency services
- call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
- contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK.
- enable the “Emergency Alerts” option to receive the Greek government’s emergency alerts. For:
- iPhones go to Settings > Notification. Enable the “Emergency Alerts” option at the bottom.
- Android 11 and higher go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts
- Samsung Devices go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Notifications > Emergency Notifications. Enable the “Emergency Alerts” option
- read the Greek Government’s protection guidelines in the event of a forest fire.
- register via the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service (in Greek)
“For further information on the risk of forest fires, visit the Civil Protection website.”
Recap: Huge blaze closes town near Athens as Greece prepares for wildfire season
Firefighters and aircraft in Greece battled a blaze in the town just 30 kilometres south of Athens on Wednesday.
Strong winds fanned the flames and forced residents in Koropi to flee their homes and businesses.
Traffic was suspended along a main highway connecting Koropi to Athens suburbs. One storage facility was on fire and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees, images on local TV showed.
Rich Booth reports:
Huge blaze closes town near Athens as Greece prepares for wildfire season
More wildfires are expected this summer
Last 12 months rank as warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons
The worldwide heatwaves are occurring against a backdrop of 12 consecutive months that have ranked as the warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons, according to the European Union's climate change monitoring service.
The World Meteorological Organization says there is an 86 per cent chance that one of the next five years will eclipse 2023 to become the warmest on record.
While overall global temperatures have risen by nearly 1.3 C (2.3 F) above pre-industrial levels, climate change is fuelling more extreme temperature peaks - making heatwaves more common, more intense and longer-lasting.
On average globally, a heatwave that would have occurred once in 10 years in the pre-industrial climate will now occur 2.8 times over 10 years, and it will be 1.2 C warmer, according to an international team of scientists with the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group.
Scientists say heatwaves will continue to intensify if the world continues to unleash climate-warming emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
If the world hits 2 C (3.6 F) of global warming, heatwaves would on average occur 5.6 times in 10 years and be 2.6 C (4.7 F) hotter, according to the WWA.
Recap: A wildfire on the fringes of the Greek capital triggers evacuation alerts
Scores of Greek firefighters and water-bombing aircraft were trying to contain a large wildfire on the fringes of Athens that forced authorities to issue evacuation orders on Wednesday for two nearby settlements.
Television footage showed flames coursing through low scrub and olive trees in a sparsely inhabited area near Vari, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of central Athens.
Fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the blaze spread very fast due to strong winds that at times reached gale force.
Read more here:
A wildfire on the fringes of the Greek capital triggers evacuation alerts
Scores of Greek firefighters and water-bombing aircraft are trying to contain a large wildfire on the fringes of Athens
Countries around Mediterranean endure another week of blistering high temperatures
Countries around the Mediterranean have endured another week of blistering high temperatures that have contributed to forest fires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth Observatory.
Europe this year has been contending with a spate of dead and missing tourists amid dangerous heat. A 55-year-old American was found dead on the Greek island of Mathraki, police said on Monday - the third such tourist death in a week.
In Serbia, meteorologists forecast temperatures of around 40 C (104 F) this week as winds from North Africa propelled a hot front across the Balkans. Health authorities declared a red weather alert and advised people not to venture outdoors.
Belgrade's emergency service said its doctors intervened 109 times overnight to treat people with heart and chronic health conditions.
In neighbouring Montenegro, where health authorities also warned people to stay in the shade until late afternoon, tens of thousands of tourists sought refreshment on the beaches along its Adriatic coast.
Red weather warning issued for parts of Europe as Greece put on fire alert
People in the scorching temperatures sought relief in Belgrade’s Ada Ciganlija lake, fountains and cafes on Thursday while the Serbian government ordered employers to protect outdoor workers from the heatwave.
Meteorologists forecast temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) throughout Serbia this week as winds from North Africa pushed a hot and dry front across the Balkans.
Health authorities and meteorologists declared a “red” weather alert and advised people not to venture outside. Belgrade’s emergency service said its doctors intervened more than 100 times overnight, mainly treating people with heart and chronic conditions.
Rich Booth and Aleksandar Vasovic report:
Red weather warning issued for parts of Europe as Greece put on fire alert
Winds from North Africa are pushing a hot and dry front across the Balkans
In pictures: Wildfires engulf parts of Greece
Greece prepares for wildfire season
Firefighters and aircraft in Greece battled a blaze in the town just 30 kilometres south of Athens on Wednesday.
Strong winds fanned the flames and forced residents in Koropi to flee their homes and businesses. Traffic was suspended along a main highway connecting Koropi to Athens suburbs. One storage facility was on fire and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees, images on local TV showed.
The fire is one of many so far this season, with more expected throughout the summer.
Rich Booth has the full story:
Huge blaze closes town near Athens as Greece prepares for wildfire season
More wildfires are expected this summer