• The heat wave in Greece lasted for several days. Meteorologists reported that in the coming days, the temperature will drop to less than 40 degrees Celsius
  • Services work to fight fires near Athens. Several firefighters and volunteers were taken to hospitals with burns
  • There is a struggle to protect many monuments, incl. Buildings in Olympia, site of the ancient Olympic Games.
  • More information can be found on the home page of Onet.pl

On the island of Euboea in the Aegean, the Coast Guard carried out a massive operation using patrol boats and special units to evacuate hundreds of people by sea.

Fires in Greece. The fire is spreading to other areas

with a long heat wave The fire broke out in forested areas 20 km north of the Greek capital, destroying more homes. Teams of several hundred firefighters dug fire trenches and put out the flames — according to the Associated Press.

Traffic was halted on the main highway linking Athens with northern Greece as firefighters tried to use the road as a barrier to contain the flames before firefighting planes resumed at dawn. However, the fire made its way across the highway in several places. Several firefighters and volunteers were taken to hospitals with burns.

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“This is the tenth day of the great heat wave that hit the whole country, the worst heat wave in intensity and duration in the past 30 years,” said General Aristotles Papadopoulos.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated

Nearly 60 villages and settlements across southern Greece were evacuated on Thursday and Friday morning. The weather is set to get worse as strong winds are expected in large parts of the country.

Fires broke out in Euboea, northeast of Athens, and in several places in the southern Peloponnese region, as services prevented the blazes from reaching the attractions of Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games. The Summer Palace near Athens, once used by the Greek royal family, has also been preserved from the elements.

The Euboea Coast Guard reported that patrol boats, private boats and cruise ships evacuated 631 people from beaches on the island’s northeast coast overnight and by Friday morning.

Fire brigades, firefighting planes, helicopters and fire trucks from France, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland are due to arrive in Greece on Friday and over the weekend. Cypriot firefighters and aircraft are already in Greece as the European Union increased its support for affected countries in southeastern Europe.

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The heat wave also caused severe fires in Turkey.