Photos of burning wildfires in Greece
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thousands battle Greece fires as heatwave bakes Europe
Greece on Wednesday battled a dozen major wildfires, including one menacing its third-largest city Patras, as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and Britain have this week wilted in high temperatures that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying. - Greece - Thousands of firefighters backed by the army deployed across Greece, with fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis saying "the situation remains difficult" for "forces waging a tough battle". "It's a cocktail of high temperatures, strong winds... and minimal humidity," the head of civil protection for Western Greece, Nikos Gyftakis, told public broadcaster ERT. AFP journalists saw residents and firefighters backed by helicopters frantically attempt to douse flames in scrubland and forests outside Patras, with thick smoke reducing visibility. Officials evacuated 12 children from a Patras hospital, Vathrakogiannis said. Eighty elderly people were removed from a retirement home, and local media footage showed the roof of a nearby 17th-century monastery ablaze. Other fronts were burning on the popular Ionian tourist islands of Zante and Cephalonia and the Aegean island of Chios, scarred by a huge wildfire in June that ravaged more than 4,000 hectares. Around 20 villages were evacuated in the western Achaia region on Tuesday, while the Greek coastguard said nearly 80 people were removed from Chios and near Patras. Vathrakogiannis said 71 people had received medical care, mostly in the western town of Preveza and the Patras area. After Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to bolster its resources, the main opposition PASOK Socialist party questioned the conservative government's preparedness for fires that strike every year. "A fully reformed civil protection system with an emphasis on prevention is required," PASOK said, identifying a poor coordination of forces and a lack of local emergency plans that made firefighting "extremely challenging". - Spain - Wildfires dominated the news in Spain, where flames have threatened a world heritage Roman mining site in the northwestern region of Castile and Leon. Regional authorities said almost 6,000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes, while seven people had been admitted to hospital for burns, including four in critical condition. Bushy undergrowth and searing temperatures that have baked Spain for almost two weeks had created "the worst possible breeding ground for this situation", said Castile and Leon's civil protection head Irene Cortes. A total of 199 wildfires have scorched nearly 98,784 hectares (244,100 acres) across Spain this year -- more than double the area burned during the same period in 2024. - Portugal - Neighbouring Portugal deployed more than 2,100 firefighters and 20 aircraft against five major blazes, with efforts focused on a fire in the central municipality of Trancoso that has raged since Saturday. Strong gusts of wind had rekindled flames overnight and threatened nearby villages, where television images showed locals volunteering to help firefighters under a thick cloud of smoke. "It's scary... but we are always ready to help each other," a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television, holding a spade in his hand. A separate fire in a mountainous zone of Arganil in central Portugal smothered several villages with smoke, prompting the evacuation of elderly residents in particular. - Balkans - Dozens of blazes stretched emergency services in the Balkans, where a severe drought and a prolonged heatwave have exacerbated the region's traditional fire season. An 80-year-old man died in Albania late Tuesday after he lost control of a fire he had started in his garden. The blaze quickly spread to neighbouring homes, injuring eight people. Authorities have evacuated residents in parts of central and southern Albania, but easing weather conditions in neighbouring Montenegro helped firefighters protect homes. The country mourned a soldier who died in a water truck overturn near the capital Podgorica on Tuesday, with the defence ministry speaking of a "heavy loss". - Britain - Historically temperate Britain sweated through its fourth heatwave of the summer, with the previously unthinkable prospect of wildfires now a real threat. A blaze in northern England's North York Moors national park was declared a "major incident" on Wednesday and covered around five square kilometres (nearly two square miles), firefighters said. burs-imm/jph/phz
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Will travel insurance cover wildfires in Europe? Here's what Brits need to check
Wildfires are raging across Spain, Portugal and Greece, threatening lives and disrupting travel. An intense heatwave continues to grip parts of southern Europe, fuelling dozens of wildfires and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. Across Europe, at least three people have died and red alerts have so far been issued for parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and the Balkans. In Spain, forecasters say temperatures may reach 44°C in popular tourist cities such as Seville and Cordoba, with similar highs expected in southern Portugal. The extreme heat has triggered top-level weather alerts in parts of southern France and the western Balkans, which saw temperatures exceed 40°C on Monday. Where are the wildfires? In Spain, flames engulfed more than 1,000 hectares in the Tres Cantos region near Madrid after a fire broke out on Monday evening. Winds of over 70km/h pushed the fire close to homes and forced hundreds to flee before authorities brought the fire under control, but with more hot weather due this week emergency services are on red alert. Elsewhere in Spain, fires raged across Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia xtxand Galicia, with around 1,000 soldiers deployed nationwide to support firefighting efforts. Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated in Castile and Leon alone, where more than 30 blazes were reported, and a fire threatened Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Andalusia, around 2,000 people were moved from homes and hotels near the coastal town of Tarifa, on the Mediterranean coast. In neighbouring Portugal, over 700 firefighters continued battling a major blaze in Trancoso, north-east of Lisbon. Portuguese authorities have been provided additional support from Morocco after Portuguese water bombers malfunctioned. Across the country, more than 1,300 firefighters and 14 aircraft were deployed with temperatures in some southern regions expected to reach 44°C, in the coming days. Greece is facing one of its most severe wildfire outbreaks in years, with more than 150 fires burning across the country and nearly 5,000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft deployed. Mass evacuations have been underway on the popular holiday island of Zakynthos and on Chios, beachgoers were rescued by boat as flames approached the shoreline. On the Greek mainland, dozens of people were rushed to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation near the western city of Patras. In the Balkans, a soldier died when a water tanker overturned near the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica and a large blaze in Split, Croatia, was brought under control on Tuesday. Albania saw evacuations as fires spread through residential areas and an 80-year-old man died in a fire south of the capital, Tirana, officials said on Wednesday. In Turkey, major fires in Canakkale and Izmir have been contained, but not before forcing hundreds to evacuate and causing the temporary closure of the Dardanelles Strait and Canakkale Airport. Is it safe to travel? It is always recommended that you check UK Foreign Office (FCDO) before you travel anywhere, and as of 13 August they have not issued any specific travel advice for the wildfires in Spain or Portugal. The FCDO warns that wildfires happen often in Spain and Portugal during the summer months saying 'wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable' and reminds travellers to be 'aware of your environment when visiting or driving through woodland areas.' Spain's meteorological service Aemet, provides information on their website as to the risk of wildfires and temperatures. The FCDO remind holidaymakers travelling to Greece and Turkey that there is a 'high risk' of wildfires during the summer season. They also encourages travellers to Greece to register for alerts from the Greek government's Emergency Communication Service. Sean Tipton, Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) spokesman, told Yahoo News: 'Wildfires are a fact of life in the Mediterranean, but it is pretty rare for wildfires to affect tourist areas. "When they do happen they can be dangerous so its important to always follow the advice of local authorities to the letter. If they say you should evacuate, then you should do so.' Will my insurance pay out if I have to cancel my travel plans? If your holiday destination is in a region affected by wildfires, it's important to assess whether it's a good idea to go ahead with the trip or stay at home - and where you stand from an insurance perspective. The ABTA advises against uninsured travel, and purchasing travel insurance that is applicable to your trip is essential before you leave. If the FCDO has deemed your destination safe to travel and your flights, accommodation and transfers are all going ahead as scheduled, then you may be unlikely to get compensation if you decide to stay at home. Rhys Jones, travel insurance spokesperson, told Yahoo News that travellers should 'check the cover limits on their policy" and consider whether you want to add extra protections. 'If the Foreign Office is advising against travel to your holiday destination, then going ahead anyway could cause you problems - as travel insurers may refuse your claim if you've travelled against their recommendations,' said Mr Jones. "If wildfires or extreme weather do cause disruption to your trip, such as cancelled flights and delays, you'll usually be covered for this under a standard travel insurance policy - and the unpredictability of events like these is one reason it's so important to have travel insurance in place.' If you have booked a package holiday, and the travel agent cancels your trip, the company should give you one of three options. Either an option to defer your date of travel, go to an alternative destination, or to have your money back. If you have booked your trip independently, and your flight is cancelled you are protected under UK law, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This means airlines are required to offer care and assistance if your flight is delayed by two or more hours, depending on the length of your journey. This can include food and drink vouchers, refunds for phone calls or essential communication. And if your flight is cancelled and rebooked for a later date, your airline must also provide hotel accommodation, if needed, and transport to and from that accommodation. However, compensation for cancellations or delays caused by wildfires or extreme heat is unlikely as these are likely to be classed as 'extraordinary circumstances', meaning the disruption is not considered the airline's fault. The CAA states that while cancellations may lead to delays in rebooking, the airline is still responsible for getting you to your final destination. If a hotel cancels your stay then you would need to read their cancellation policy, and you are likely to receive your money back as they are not providing a service, whether you have insurance or not. Jo Rhodes, Which? Travel Expert, said it's important that travellers don't cancel their trips in the coming days. She said: "Travellers who cancel now will likely forfeit their right to a refund or rebooking, and as the FCDO has not warned against travel to the affected regions, are unlikely to be able to claim on their travel insurance. "As a rule, insurance firms won't make allowances for 'disinclination to travel.' "Instead, holidaymakers should wait until closer to the departure date to see if the holiday can go ahead or what flexible booking options are offered from the tour operator or airline. Travel companies will be prioritising anyone due to depart in the next couple of days."
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Bloomberg
European Cool Is Becoming Harder on a Warming Planet
For many Europeans, escaping the summer heat used to be as easy as taking a beachside plunge or catching an Alpine breather. But global warming is changing all that. Nowadays, more people are doing the once unthinkable and installing air conditioning. Others are opting to take coolcations — reinforcing trends sending more travelers to spend time in cooler Nordic zones instead of the sunny south. The onset of extreme heat as an everyday feature of life on a warming planet is taking a particularly hard toll on Europe this summer. Wildfires are raging across the Mediterranean, with temperatures today forecast to reach 42C (111F) across parts of Spain and France. Farmers are facing increased frequency of drought. Power markets are being gripped by new vulnerability.
