Firefighters tackle blazes as wildfires break out in Greece, Turkey and Albania
A firefighter has died and thousands of people have been evacuated in a weekend that has seen dozens of fires scorch forests and burn houses to the ground.
More than 50 wildfires have erupted in Greece in the past 24 hours, leading to evacuations in some Athens suburbs and a request to the EU for six firefighting planes.
A politician in Turkey's fourth-largest city of Bursa described the scene as "an apocalypse" as forests burned and more than 1,100 firefighters tried to control the flames.
Turkey
Wildfires have engulfed Turkey for weeks, and on Friday the government declared two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik, disaster areas.
Fire crews confronted 76 separate blazes across the country on Saturday, forestry minister Ibrahim Yamukli said.
Almost 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes in villages to the northeast of Bursa, where a firefighter died from a heart attack while on the job, the city's mayor, Mustafa Bozbey, said.
Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as "an apocalypse".
Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature of 50.5C (123F) in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday.
Fourteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed on Wednesday in a fire in the west of the country.
Greece
Parts of Athens have been evacuated after more than 50 wildfires broke out in 24 hours.
People living in the suburb of Kryoneri, around 12.5 miles (20 km) northeast of the Greek capital, were told to move to safe areas on Saturday.
At least five people, most of them elderly with respiratory problems, have been treated in hospital for burns or smoke inhalation.
Photos showed houses and tree-covered hills on fire as temperatures hit 38C (100F) and dry conditions and high winds fanned the flames.
Fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis said that under such conditions, wildfires "expand very quickly and become dangerous", adding: "These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days."
There have been reports of damage, he said, and authorities "will take stock when the fires have been put out".
At least 335 firefighters are also battling three major fires on Greece's two largest islands - Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens - and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete.
Albania
In neighbouring Albania, 26 fires broke out throughout the country on Saturday, following a large fire near the southern Albanian town of Delvina on Friday, which injured three people and forced the evacuation of about 2,000 residents.
Kosovo
In Kosovo, firefighters managed to extinguish 17 blazes fuelled by strong winds while 12 others remained active, officials said.
Eight cows were killed in the southern town of Prizren, after a fire engulfed a farm, local emergency services said while 40 sheep died in a fire in the east of the country.
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The Guardian
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Colombia's second-largest city, Medellín, has created an entire metropolis of shade with its Green Corridors project. This transformed roads and waterways into green cycling lanes and walkways connecting the city's parks, reducing temperatures in these areas by 3C. Meanwhile, in central Manchester, McWhirter cites Mayfield, a 24-acre brownfield site transformed into a 'pocket park' as a stand-out UK example of how green spaces can help to keep urban temperatures cool and improve general wellbeing. 'Nature is good at doing the heavy lifting,' he says. Also in Greater Manchester, at Stretford Kingsway, Trafford, part of a dual carriageway has been reclaimed into a green walkway and cycleway, with a shade-giving weeping willow tree and sustainable urban drainage. Blue corridors are urban bodies of water — rivers, canals, docks — which provide respite from scorching heat. Helping to reduce the temperature of the air around them, they also provide a chance to cool off (subject to pollution levels of course) with wild swimming, paddleboarding and other water sports. • Inside the model estate testing the government's plans for eco-homes One stand-out example is Eden Dock (formerly Middle Dock) in the concrete jungle of Canary Wharf, London, designed by the architectural partnership Howells and HTA. Surrounded by timber decking and lush planting, it connects workers and residents with surrounding water and nature. 'Urban trees act as natural air conditioners and serve as a critical nature-based solution to rising temperatures in towns and cities,' says Meadows. 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According to research published last year by University College London, this kind of approach is more successful at heat mitigation than green roofs, covered in vegetation. In London, it could lower outdoor urban temperatures by at least 1.2C. Increasing public tree cover helps to keep cities cooler, but it's expensive and planting is limited by underground infrastructure, says Tom Fox, associate partner at We Made That, a research, urban design and architecture practice. He adds: 'This means awnings and shade structures are important to providing sufficient shade to have a meaningful impact on temperatures.' In Seville, Spain, which in 2022 became the first city to start naming its heatwaves, Antonio Muñoz, the mayor at the time, ordered the installation of awnings across the city as part of a 'policy of shade', which also included planting 5,000 trees a year and building more public fountains. 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The architects estimate this reduces solar gain by more than 50 per cent, diminishing the need for air conditioning. Dubai also has district cooling. Water is collected and chilled at a centralised location and then piped into residential and commercial buildings. According to Savills, district cooling achieves energy-efficiency index ratings between five and ten times higher than conventional air-conditioning units.
