[News]Greece fires: Thousands flee homes and hotels on Rhodes as fires spread

[Ronaldskk.]

"The situation in Rhodes is serious and extremely difficult. Due to the strong wind and quickly changing direction of the fire, firefighters had to withdraw and move," Slovak Fire and Rescue Services posted on Facebook.

 

Greece is facing further intense heat this weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb to as high as 45C (113F).

 

It could turn into Greece's hottest July weekend in 50 years, one of the country's top meteorologists has said.

 

Firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires across the country. An area west of Athens is among the worst-hit areas, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes.

 

And authorities are warning of a very high risk of new blazes as the heat continues to rise.

 

People have been advised to stay home, and tourist sites - including Athens' ancient Acropolis - will be shut during the hottest parts of the next two days.

 

Greece - like a number of other European countries - saw a prolonged spell of extreme heat earlier this month.

 

The latest heatwave comes at one of the busiest times for the country's tourism industry.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66279520