Sunday, July 27, 08:00 – Wildfires are raging across Greece, including major outbreaks in Pissonas, Evia, Kythira, Messinia, Laconia, Chania (Crete),  Ptolemaida, Drosopigi and Kryoneri, the latter being only 20 km north of Athens.

Homes, businesses and extensive forested and agricultural areas have been destroyed as hundreds of firefighters and locals battled the extensive fire fronts overnight. So far, five people have been injured and hospitalised.

The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44°C on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist across all of Greece through most of the weekend and into next week.

Greece has formally requested assistance from the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, including supplying six additional firefighting aircraft.

Authorities have confirmed that many regions across Greece remain under threat of further wildfires due to the extreme weather conditions, including the Ionian Islands, Western Greece, the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Attica, Epirus, Western Macedonia (Florina, Kastoria, Kozani), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros), Thessaly (Magnesia, Larisa, Trikala), the South Aegean (Rhodes) and Crete.

The whole of southern Europe is suffering from major wildfires due to the extreme weather conditions, including Spain, France, Italy, the Balkans and Turkey.

Update 11:00 – According to the Greek Fire Department’s press spokesman, the situation in most of the wildfires across the country has improved, due to the success of the all-night battles, and the addition of considerable aerial support after daybreak.

The situation is that there are no active fronts in the fire in Attica, and the picture is improving in Laconia, Evia and Chania (Crete), although the battles with the fires continue in Kythira and Messinia.

However, excessive temperatures and high winds in many areas raise the threat of flare-ups and the resurgence of extinguished fires.