Wildfires rage in Greece as extreme heat persists

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.

By dawn, firefighters were still tackling flare-ups, supported by helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft.

On the island of Evia, officials said a blaze near Pissona had got "out of control" on Saturday. Six firefighters were taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation, while several villages were left without power.

Local authorities said there were signs of improvement on Sunday, but a significant risk of flare-ups remained due to strong winds.

In Messinia, a third wildfire broke out in the Polithea area of Trifylia on Saturday morning and intensified later in the day. Officials reported significant damage to homes and agricultural land.

On Sunday, Vathrakoyannis said 67 firefighters were attending the Kythira fire and 100 were in Messinia, where an active front remained.

In Attica, the region where Athens is, a fire that started in Afidnes on Saturday spread rapidly through Drosopigi, Kryoneri and Agios Stefanos, forcing residents to flee.

While the fire service says the main front has been contained, scattered hotspots continue to burn.

The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze.

Meanwhile, in Crete's Chania region, firefighters are battling a 20km wildfire front that has swept through forest land, beehives, crops and livestock.

Strong southwesterly winds are complicating efforts to contain flare-ups, while several villages remain without electricity.

Last month, fires on Greece's fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land.

Earlier in July, a wildfire on the island of Crete forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists.

On Saturday, Turkey's environment ministry said meteorologists had recorded a reading of 50.5C in the south-eastern city of Silopi, surpassing the previous heat record of 49.5C.

Firefighters have faced a four-day battle to contain a fire in the northern Karabuk province, AFP news agency reported on Sunday. On Wednesday, ten people died fighting a fire in Eskisehir, a province in the north-west, it added.

Some local authorities have announced restrictions on water consumption, including for the resort of Cesme on Turkey's west coast.