Natural disasters

Firefighters in Ilia, western Peloponnese, are battling multiple wildfires, with one firefighter seriously injured and several homes under threat from advancing flames.

The European Civil Protection Mechanism has mobilized three firefighting aircraft, two from Italy and one from Croatia, to assist Greek first responders as they battle a large wildfire that has been burning in the south of the country for three days.

The EU has also launched emergency satellite mapping via its Copernicus system to provide maps for the local authorities. 

The Amazon rainforest has lost an area about the size of Germany and France combined to deforestation in four decades, fueling drought and record wildfires across South America, experts have said.

The world's biggest jungle, spanning nine countries, is crucial to the fight against climate change due to its ability to absorb planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

In the summer of 2024, the average value of maximum daily temperatures ranged at very high levels across the country, compared to the average for the period 2010-2019, according to the dense network of meteo.gr weather stations of the National Observatory of Athens (NAA).

August in Greece is expected to end with lightning storms as a cold and unstable weather front is expected to affect most regions of the country until Saturday, according to an emergency bulletin issued by the national weather service, EMY, on Thursday.

 After a long period, the very high temperatures are subsiding and we are back to slightly above normal for the season, says the director of the National Weather Service, Thodoros Kolydas.

In the past 24 hours, Greece has experienced the outbreak of over 20 new fires, despite a recent drop in temperatures. The Civil Defense reported that 23 fires ignited during this period, with some caused by lightning and others attributed to deliberate arson.

During last week's large wildfire in northeastern Attica, personnel at the Independent Power Transmission Operator performed feats of juggling in trying to avoid large-scale power cuts amid sweltering conditions. In the end, cuts remained local.

The political noise that follows every natural disaster in Greece ends up distracting society from the real issue: Do we have a civil protection mechanism that works professionally, independent of political influences? Does it learn from its weaknesses and operational mistakes, does it leverage technology and adapt to extreme climate change? 

Authorities have warned of an impending weeklong heat wave during the summer tourist season, with a high risk of dangerous wildfires, as much of southern Europe swelters under high temperatures.

The Ministry for Civil Protection and Climate Change said southwesterly winds from Africa would bring temperatures sometimes exceeding 40C at least until July 19.