/ 25 July 2023

Fires force thousands of tourists to flee

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Greek authorities are racing to contain wildfires that have broken out nationwide as temperatures exceed 40C. Reports say 64 fires started on Sunday thanks to atrocious conditions brought on by the hottest day of their record-breaking summer. The total number of fires burning is past 80, with new blazes breaking out on the popular holiday islands of Corfu and Evia. Boats – including private vessels – were sent to pick up evacuees fleeing their hotels and homes, and airports have been packed with holidaymakers trying to leave. Wind gusts of 49km/h have made things even more challenging for firefighters on the island of Rhodes, where at least 19,000 people have fled in the nation’s largest-ever fire evacuation. And reports say the extreme heat being recorded across much of the Northern Hemisphere isn’t set to cool off for a few more days…

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