Greece wildfires: Authorities on alert for new spate of blazes

Several parts of Greece are connected precocious alert arsenic utmost temperatures and precocious winds endanger to spark much devastating wildfires.

Extreme occurrence hazard warnings person been issued for respective regions successful confederate Greece, including astir Athens.

The superior has seen searing temperatures implicit summertime - this week they volition hover adjacent to 40C (104F).

Dozens of fires broke retired astatine the weekend, prompting thousands of residents to beryllium evacuated.

One of the worst occurrence fronts is adjacent the larboard metropolis of Alexandroupoli, adjacent to the north-eastern borderline with Turkey.

Fires determination person been burning for respective days, and 13 communities adjacent the metropolis were evacuated "for the information of the citizens", Greece's occurrence work said successful a statement.

There are besides fires burning successful the eastbound Rhodope portion and the bluish metropolis of Kavala.

France, Cyprus and Romania person sent reinforcements to assistance Greek firefighters.

At slightest 1 idiosyncratic is thought to person died truthful acold arsenic a effect of these latest fires.

According to section media, an 80-year-old antheral collapsed portion trying to prevention his sheep from the flames successful the cardinal Boeotia region, northbound of Athens.

Summer wildfires are communal successful Greece but scientists person linked the expanding frequence and strength of utmost upwind events, including heatwaves, to clime change.

"Greece already had by acold its worst July since 2008 successful presumption of wildfires," the EU's Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said connected Monday.

"The burnt country is bigger and the fires are much aggravated and much violent, burning much country than before."

A spokesperson for the Greek occurrence service, Ioannis Artophios, said the state is faced with "extreme phenomena" and that everyone needed to "adapt to this hard situation."

Fire crews person been battling a blaze connected the Spanish land of Tenerife for astir a week, but the authorities determination judge the worst is present down them.

The occurrence has burned done thousands of acres of onshore and forced the evacuation of much than 12,000 people, according to the determination government.

Parts of confederate France, meanwhile, could acquisition record-breaking vigor successful the coming days. Temperatures of much than 40C are expected successful places including the Rhone valley.