Greece declares emergency on Chios over wildfires
Greece put the Mediterranean island of Chios under a state of emergency on Monday because of major fires that have raged since the weekend.
Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis said the decision was made so the authorities could "immediately take the necessary measures".
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis called on island residents to exercise "the greatest caution" and follow official instructions.
Chios, in the northern Aegean Sea, is Greece's fifth-largest island and is currently facing five separate fire outbreaks.
Some 190 firefighters, 38 vehicles, 12 helicopters and four water-bombers have been deployed, the fire service said.
Kefalogiannis, who travelled to the island, said strong winds, estimated at force six on the Beaufort Scale were making the situation "very difficult".
Reinforcements were being deployed, he told Greek news site iEidiseis.
"If the wind dies down a bit we might be able to get this fire under control," he said.
"But the wind really hasn't dropped."
On Sunday, hundreds of asylum seekers were forced to move from a reception centre while seven villages were evacuated on Monday.
Island authorities feared the fire was dangerously close to fields of valuable mastic trees, whose aromatic sap is used in making chewing gum, alcoholic drinks and pharmaceuticals.
Mastic is the island's most famous product, designated part of its intangible cultural heritage by world heritage body UNESCO.
Greece is particularly vulnerable to fires in summer, fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change.
Forecasts are predicting a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) expected, including in the capital Athens.
mr/yap/phz/jxb
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iowa corn beginning to silk, soybeans blooming ahead of normal
Corn growing near West Des Moines on June 22, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Across the state of Iowa, approximately 2% of planted corn acres are beginning to silk, and 13% of soybean acres are blooming, which is five days ahead of the five-year average, according to the crop progress and condition report. The report, put out weekly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, showed Iowa corn rated 83% good to excellent and soybeans rated 77% good to excellent. Iowa's oat crop also rated highly with 85% good or excellent. Nearly all oats in the state, 81%, have headed and 27% are coloring. The first cutting of alfalfa hay was nearly completed during the reporting period from June 16 through June 22. Twenty-four percent of the second cutting is complete. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The state had an average precipitation of 1.82 inches during the reporting period, which was about six-tenths of an inch above the normal. Some areas of the state had higher precipitation for the reporting period, like Mason City which accumulated 4.41 inches — the most for the week. Soil moisture conditions improved slightly from last week, on average 73% of topsoil moisture was adequate, and just 16% of topsoil was short of moisture. Subsoil moisture for the state as a whole rated 65% adequate and 21% short. Soil moisture conditions were the worst in southern regions, in particular the southwest region, and also rated poorly in northwest and west central portions of the state. Temperatures across Iowa were high during the reporting period, with an average of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, which is nearly 5 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan. 'Exceedingly warm daytime temperatures in concert with high dewpoints and sustained strong southerly winds produced anomalous conditions not seen at many locations in the observational record,' Glisan wrote in the preliminary weather summary for the state. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the hot, humid and windy conditions from the past week 'really made it feel like summer.' 'Some areas across north-central Iowa received several inches of rain with other locations receiving uninvited hail and high winds,' Naig said. 'The warmer temperatures and increased chances for rain are likely to continue through the end of the month.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
Extreme heat hits the US: See map of impacted states
States across the central and eastern U.S. are under extreme heat watches and warnings as the areas face a dangerous heat wave throughout the first half of the week, according to the National Weather Service. "Extremely dangerous heat wave expands from Midwest to East Coast," the NWS stated in a post on the social media website X. Over the weekend, the weather service issued extreme heat warnings in parts of more than a dozen states, with many Americans facing the highest temperatures of the year so far. Extreme heat watches were also issued in several states. "Though record high temperatures are expected in the coming days, the duration of the heat, as demonstrated by the numerous record warm morning lows, will make this period especially oppressive," the National Weather Service posted on X June 20. 'Rare' and 'dangerous': Record-smashing heat wave to scorch tens of millions NWS Boston warns that people will be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses and asks people to be cautious when working outdoors or participating in outdoor activities. "This level of heat risk is known for being rare and/or long duration with little to no overnight relief, and affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," the weather service stated in an online forecast released on June 23. Here's everything you need to know about the heat wave. 'Rare' and 'dangerous': Record-smashing heat wave to scorch tens of millions. National heat index map: See which states feel hottest The map embeds below identify areas where the heat index is forecasted to reach NWS-defined levels from "Caution" (80 degrees Fahrenheit) to "Extreme Danger" (above 125 degrees). Heat index measures how hot it actually feels when factoring for humidity. Prolonged exposure to heat index above 80 degrees can lead to fatigue, as previously reported by USA TODAY. As it gets hotter, the risk continues to increase − potentially resulting in heat stroke or even death. Older adults, children, and outdoor workers are generally at higher risk of heat-related incidents. Heat index map: Monday, June 23: Heat index map: Tuesday, June 24: National high temperature map: Monday, June 23 National high temperatures: Tuesday, June 24 Difference between extreme heat watch and extreme heat warning Areas where dangerous heat is possible are placed under an extreme heat warning and are asked to prepare in case it happens. Areas where dangerous heat "is happening or about to happen" are placed under an extreme heat warning, according to the weather service. How to stay safe during extreme heat People facing extreme heat should do the following, according to NWS: Heat exhaustion and heat stroke Extreme heat could negatively impact people's health. "Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events," according to the National Weather Service. The following factors increase the possibility of a heat-related illness, according to the National Park Service: It's hot. What temperature to set your thermostat during summer heat wave What are the symptoms of heatstroke? There are multiple forms of heat illnesses, but heatstroke is the deadliest and most dangerous, according to the NPS. The following are symptoms of heatstroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In the case of a heatstroke, the CDC recommends people do the following: Contributing: Doyle Rice and staff, USA TODAY Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
Politico
10 hours ago
- Politico
Hot and unprepared
The 'rare' and 'extremely dangerous' heat wave gripping large swaths of the country offers a reminder of the dangers of climate change as the world fails to curb atmospheric pollution. Tens of millions of people across the Midwest and East Coast are experiencing scorching heat today — reaching triple digits in some cities — that could continue through Wednesday. Public health experts are warning people to stay cool and hydrated as temperatures are expected to remain high overnight, offering the body little respite. The heat dome, caused by high pressure in the upper atmosphere that traps heat and humidity, arrives as the Trump administration escalates its assault on regulations designed to combat climate change and protect people from high temperatures. The administration has proposed axing a popular program that helps low-income families heat and cool their homes. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides support to some 6 million Americans and has bipartisan support in Congress, has increasingly become a source of money to subsidize air conditioning costs as summer heat becomes more dangerous. (The White House has called the program 'unnecessary.') The administration is also weighing the elimination of a proposed rule that would require companies to provide rest and water to outdoor workers in extreme heat. The rule's opponents include the oil and gas industry, among the nation's leading workplaces for heat-related deaths and injuries. Meanwhile, the U.S. and other countries are failing to cut their climate pollution sharply enough to meet the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming 'well below' 2 degrees Celsius. A new analysis from the independent science project Climate Action Tracker found that none of the 40 countries tracked has strengthened its 2030 targets enough to comply with the 2015 climate deal. In Europe, scientists are warning that the continent is wholly unprepared to handle the rapid increase in illnesses and deaths driven by extreme heat, floods and wildfires. Hotter temperatures are also driving the alarming spread of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya that were once confined to tropical regions. And in the U.S., Trump's efforts to eradicate federal climate initiatives include gutting research programs and firing experts — potentially impairing people's ability to understand how such warming affects the planet. It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Dasha Burns speaks with one of Trump's top energy advisers, Jarrod Agen, about the administration's rejection of the GOP's long-held 'all of the above' energy mantra and exclusive embrace of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Power Centers Oil prices yo-yo amid U.S.-Iran tête-à-têteOil prices fell sharply Monday afternoon following an Iranian counterattack against U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, an apparently symbolic move that spared shipments of Middle Eastern crude, writes Ben Lefebvre. Prices tumbled below $70 a barrel, down more than $5 from the day before when the U.S. military action against Iran's nuclear facilities drove prices higher. As prices ping-pong, Trump — who campaigned on driving down energy costs — has tried to stave off panic by publicly urging his administration to increase domestic oil production, writes Robin Bravender. The president took to Truth Social to demand that the Energy Department 'DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!' despite oil extraction falling outside that agency's jurisdiction. In a separate post, he directed 'EVERYONE' to 'KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING!' Trump's public pronouncements mark attempts to calm consumers and influence prices, but the reality is presidents are limited in their ability to sway global oil markets. GOP moves could undercut the fossil fuel industryRepublican lawmakers are cracking down on federal aid that the fossil fuel industry lobbied hard for in an effort to stay globally competitive, writes Brian Dabbs. On the chopping block are funds to cut methane emissions and a clean hydrogen tax break, the loss of which some energy experts say could jeopardize the future for U.S. oil and gas and give an edge to China and Europe. In Other News Fusion race: No one has made fusion power viable yet. Why are major tech companies investing billions? Side effects may include: Climate change is boosting the risk of sleep apnea. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. EPA's proposed repeal of Biden-era power plant rules solidifies the Trump administration's plan to discard the social cost of carbon. Trump is slashing and burning the bulk of the Biden administration's energy and climate legacy, but there's one policy he appears to be embracing: an African cross-continental rail project that would access mineral-rich countries and counter China. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) plans to question a senior Justice Department official at his Wednesday hearing for an appointment to the federal bench about his involvement in the freeze and termination of $20 billion of EPA climate grants. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
