Homes evacuated as wildfires rage across Greece
More than 50 wildfires broke out across the country as Greece sweltered under temperatures of up to 44C.
In one of the most serious incidents, a fire near the village of Drosopigi, close to Athens, the Greek capital, burnt two houses, forcing residents to flee. At least five people were taken to hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation.
More than 200 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, were still operating in the area on Sunday morning. Teams from Italy and the Czech Republic were expected to arrive later in the day.
Battling the flames, on the ground and from above, in the suburbs of Athens
YANNIS KOLESIDIS/EPA
ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS/REUTERS
On the island of Evia, officials said a second blaze near Pissona had got 'out of control', moving quickly towards Afrati.
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The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Japan and South Korea reel from record-breaking heat
Authorities in Japan and South Korea have urged people to take precautions to prevent heatstroke, as the region reels from record-breaking temperatures and pressure on hospitals. On Thursday, South Korea's meteorological office said the country had experienced a record-breaking streak of 'tropical nights' for 22 consecutive days this month. A day earlier, Japan saw its hottest day on record, with the mercury reaching 41.2C, as hospitals across the country were inundated with people who had fallen ill as a result of the heatwave. Overnight temperatures in Seoul stayed above 25C for 22 consecutive days in July, meteorological officials said – the longest period since modern weather records were first kept in 1907. The South Korean capital was also due to record its hottest July night in history on Wednesday, with the lowest temperature of the day at 29.3C. Media reports said the record could be broken again on Thursday. The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to the meteorology office. 'The warm air from the North Pacific High began affecting South Korea a bit earlier than usual,' Youn Ki-han, director of Seoul's meteorology forecast division, told Agence France-Presse. Youn added: 'Normally, if it's hot for just a day, temperatures spike and then quickly return to normal. But when warm conditions persist for several days, the heat doesn't fully dissipate, it lingers and accumulates with each day.' Japanese weather officials said the temperature on Wednesday had risen to 41.2C in Tamba, in the western prefecture of Hyogo, and urged people to stay hydrated and use air conditioners and electric fans to prevent heat-related illnesses. Japan's temperature record was broken as a high-pressure system brought clear skies and blistering heat to many parts of the country, the meteorological agency said, adding that the brutal weather was expected to continue into Thursday. The agency said temperatures on Wednesday had exceeded 35C at 271 of its 914 observation points, with new highs seen in 39 places. The previous record of 41.1C was set in Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture, in August 2020, and in Kumagaya, Saitama prefecture near Tokyo in July 2018. The extreme heat poses a particular threat to the countries' large populations of older people. Thirteen people have died in South Korea from suspected heat-related causes so far this year – three times the number over the same period last year – according to the Korea's disease control and prevention agency. In Japan, 10,804 people, more than half of whom were aged over 64, were taken to hospital suffering from exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses in the week up to 21 July – the highest weekly number so far this year. Sixteen people died, according to the fire and disaster management agency. Summer temperatures in Japan have soared in recent years as a result of more erratic weather patterns that scientists attribute to the climate crisis. Last summer was Japan's joint hottest on record, with temperatures matching those of 2023, which was followed by the warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago. The heat is also affecting overseas visitors. On Wednesday, the temperature reached 40C for the first time on record in Kyoto, which last year attracted a record 10.88 million foreign tourists. Human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters from heatwaves to floods to wildfires. Agence France-Presse contributed reporting.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Japan and South Korea reel from record-breaking heat
Authorities in Japan and South Korea have urged people to take precautions to prevent heatstroke, as the region reels from record-breaking temperatures and pressure on hospitals. On Thursday, South Korea's meteorological office said the country had experienced a record-breaking streak of 'tropical nights' for 22 consecutive days this month. A day earlier, Japan saw its hottest day on record, with the mercury reaching 41.2C, as hospitals across the country were inundated with people who had fallen ill as a result of the heatwave. Overnight temperatures in Seoul stayed above 25C for 22 consecutive days in July, meteorological officials said – the longest period since modern weather records were first kept in 1907. The South Korean capital was also due to record its hottest July night in history on Wednesday, with the lowest temperature of the day at 29.3C. Media reports said the record could be broken again on Thursday. The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to the meteorology office. 'The warm air from the North Pacific High began affecting South Korea a bit earlier than usual,' Youn Ki-han, director of Seoul's meteorology forecast division, told Agence France-Presse. Youn added: 'Normally, if it's hot for just a day, temperatures spike and then quickly return to normal. But when warm conditions persist for several days, the heat doesn't fully dissipate, it lingers and accumulates with each day.' Japanese weather officials said the temperature on Wednesday had risen to 41.2C in Tamba, in the western prefecture of Hyogo, and urged people to stay hydrated and use air conditioners and electric fans to prevent heat-related illnesses. Japan's temperature record was broken as a high-pressure system brought clear skies and blistering heat to many parts of the country, the meteorological agency said, adding that the brutal weather was expected to continue into Thursday. The agency said temperatures on Wednesday had exceeded 35C at 271 of its 914 observation points, with new highs seen in 39 places. The previous record of 41.1C was set in Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture, in August 2020, and in Kumagaya, Saitama prefecture near Tokyo in July 2018. The extreme heat poses a particular threat to the countries' large populations of older people. Thirteen people have died in South Korea from suspected heat-related causes so far this year – three times the number over the same period last year – according to the Korea's disease control and prevention agency. In Japan, 10,804 people, more than half of whom were aged over 64, were taken to hospital suffering from exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses in the week up to 21 July – the highest weekly number so far this year. Sixteen people died, according to the fire and disaster management agency. Summer temperatures in Japan have soared in recent years as a result of more erratic weather patterns that scientists attribute to the climate crisis. Last summer was Japan's joint hottest on record, with temperatures matching those of 2023, which was followed by the warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago. The heat is also affecting overseas visitors. On Wednesday, the temperature reached 40C for the first time on record in Kyoto, which last year attracted a record 10.88 million foreign tourists. Human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters from heatwaves to floods to wildfires. Agence France-Presse contributed reporting.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Another heatwave could hit the UK – here are the top tips for keeping cool
It's not uncommon to see the weather in the UK be a little unpredictable. But despite the showers and a slightly cooler temperature over the last couple of weeks, we might be in for another heatwave this summer. By the looks of it, we could be in for a scorcher towards the end of next week and into the weekend, with temperatures set to rise to on 8 August. The Met Office's long range forecast states that 'there is an increased chance of high pressure becoming more dominant, leading to drier, warmer and more settled conditions becoming more widespread.' It's important to be prepared if the weather does heat up, which is why we've compiled the top tips for keeping cool. When you're out and about, basking in the sunshine, loose fabrics and even an electrolyte drink may be enough to keep you cool and hydrated, but when you're cooped up inside, with the sun beating through your windows, you may just need to call in the big guns. But there are lots of different cooling techniques out there, and plenty of urban myths, such as drinking hot drinks to cool down. On top of that, there are lots of cooling products and tons of jargon. You might not know air coolers from air conditioners or the difference between tower fans and pedestal fans. That's why we spoke to the experts about the best ways to stay comfortable at your desk and sleep breezily through the night. What qualifies as a heatwave? In the UK, an official heatwave occurs when a given area reaches a temperature threshold for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C, depending on where you're located across the country, explains Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wisson. In London, for instance, the threshold is 28C, in Aberdeen it's 25C. How to stay cool at home According to Met Office advice, when temperatures soar, we should try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm, when the UV rays are strongest. To stay cool indoors, 'close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler'. Alex Atkinson, air conditioning technician at Super Brothers, recommends 'minimising the use of ovens, stoves, or dryers during the hottest periods, alongside keeping hydrated and having cool showers throughout the day' to help take the edge off. If you've drawn the curtains, pulled the blinds down, and taken all the cool showers you can stomach, and you're still not feeling comfortable, it may be time to bring in a little extra help. Luckily, there are plenty of additional devices and tools that we can purchase to help keep our homes cool, and we've reviewed some of the best on the market. Fans A fan goes a long way to make a room feel less stuffy – but where you position it can make a big difference. Shawn Navarednam, an environmental care design engineer at Dyson, says that 'for circulation and cooling purposes, fans should point towards you or the inside of the room. Additionally, cooler air is denser and accumulates at the bottom of the room, so keeping your fan near the ground to sweep the cold air up will help.' The Vortex air cleanse (£149.99, took the top spot in our review of the best fans. It 'combines a sleek design with powerful performance at great value. It cools and heats quickly, is energy efficient, thanks to a smart thermostat, and will slot seamlessly into pretty much any home,' praised our tester. If you're looking for a quiet fan, we'd recommend Duux's whisper flex smart fan (£171.95, It has 30 speed settings and multiple modes, including natural wind mode, which our tester found to be 'noticeably different from the usual blasting air you find in most fans' and a much more relaxing experience. Portable air conditioner If you're really looking to cool a room down at speed, nothing will be an air conditioning unit. They work by extracting the hot air from your room and replacing it with a cool and refreshing breeze. Senior tech critic Alex Lee has tested a whole host of different options and found the best portable air conditioner for any space. MeacoCool 9K three-in-one air conditioner (£400, was found to be the best. He praised it for being "smaller and lighter than many units' he tested, and was 'small enough to store away during the winter when it's not in use.' You can control it from an app, too, so if you're suffering on a sweltering commute home, you can have the Meaco cool your room ready for your return, and if you're overheating as you sleep, you can turn up the cooling without leaving your bed. Air cooler A midpoint between a portable ACs and a fan, the best air coolers. Where fans push air around the room, air coolers use chilled water and ice to introduce cooler air to a room. They're not quite as effective as portable ACs, but they're much cheaper. Senior tech critic Alex Lee put the Igenix 10l smart digital air cooler IGFD7010WIFI (was £129.00, now £109, among others to the test and described it as a 'work of art'. It did a 'good – if slightly basic – job of cooling down hot rooms'. While it's reduced to £109, it's the perfect addition to your home ahead of the potential heatwave. Bedding Getting a full night's sleep in a heatwave may sound like an impossible dream, but there are some ways of keeping cool in bed. Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of Simba's charity partner, The Sleep Charity, says you should try 'spreading out as much as you can, like a starfish, as it can help to circulate air around your body better and encourage heat to escape, as you sleep.' It might also seem counterintuitive, but rather than having a cold shower before bed, Lisa suggests taking a warm shower right before bed. 'The warm water makes our body heat up, and then, when we get out of the shower, a rapid drop in temperature cools our body down.' Similarly, it's worthwhile to reconsider your bedding during the summer months. Our resident sleep expert and IndyBest assistant editor, Sarah Jones, found Simba's summer hybrid duvet (from £129, to be the best summer duvet. Even during a muggy, no-breeze night, where sleep usually feels impossible, 'I didn't wake up drenched in sweat or tossing around trying to find a cool spot,' she wrote. We'd also recommend trying Panda's bamboo mattress topper (£139, which took the top spot in our review of the best cooling mattress toppers. IndyBest tester Lois Borny noted that the 'gel-fused memory foam is engineered to be cooler than regular memory foam, containing gel capsules that draw heat from the body, while extra space allows heat to escape'.
