Wind speeds in some areas have exceeded 95 kilometers per hour. Firefighters on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece battled wildfires on Friday, which continue to spread due to strong winds.
As a result, local authorities had to evacuate several threatened villages, according to a report from AFP, as relayed by TASR.
In the southern part of the peninsula, 150 to 250 kilometers southwest of Athens, at least four large fires were recorded. Dozens of firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames near a power plant in the city of Megalopoli, with 12 vehicles, six planes, and two helicopters involved in the effort. “Conditions are extremely challenging. Wind speeds in some areas have exceeded 95 kilometers per hour,” stated Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the national fire and rescue service. “We have recorded a total of 45 fires across the country,” the spokesperson added.
Since Wednesday, Greek authorities have been warning of an increased risk of fires due to strong winds and high temperatures, which have reached up to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. Two villages and three private schools near the town of Koropi were evacuated on Wednesday because of a fire located 30 kilometers from the capital.
Greece has been preparing for the summer fire season several weeks in advance. Following the warmest winter on record, Greece experienced its earliest heatwave last week. Rising temperatures are extending the fire season, leading to larger areas being affected by flames, explained the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
