Forest fire near Athens under control, but area on high alert
Representative AI image
ATHENS: Greek firefighters said Friday that a forest blaze that had forced evacuations around Athens was under control, but warned that scorching temperatures were keeping fire risk at a highly elevated level around the capital and on northern Aegean islands.
Greece has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to fires in the summer fuelled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change.
The fire around Athens broke on Thursday afternoon near the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Athens, and forced the evacuation of five villages popular with local and foreign tourists.
Though it was under control on Friday, a volatile combination of high temperatures and strong winds meant that a high risk of other fires breaking out remained, especially in the Attica region around the Greek capital and some islands in the north Aegean Sea, authorities said.
A spokesman for the fire service told AFP that over 100 firefighters with 37 vehicles and a helicopter were on standby near Palaia Fokaia and Thymari.
Fields, olive groves and some houses were ravaged by the blaze.
The blaze came on the heels of another fire on the island of Chios, Greece's fifth-largest island, which had destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of land in four days.
Weather agencies forecast a heatwave in the coming days with temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), including in the capital Athens.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Hello sunshine! Indoreans see clear sky after a week
Indore: Despite a yellow alert for heavy rainfall issued for Friday, Indore received only 0.6 mm of rain during the day, as the weather cleared up by the afternoon. After nearly a week of overcast skies and intermittent showers, the city experienced sunshine again, leading to a significant rise in the maximum temperature, which reached 30.5 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal but still the highest in recent days. For the past week, daytime temperatures remained between 25 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius due to continuous cloud cover and rainfall. On Friday evening at 5:30 PM, the temperature stood at 27.8 degrees Celsius. Humidity was recorded at 81% in the evening hours on Friday, and winds blew from the southwest at a speed of 15 kmph. Morning humidity remained high at 98%. Indore received overnight rainfall on Thursday, summing the rainfall recorded in 24 hours to 68.5 mm. On Thursday, the city recorded 46.4 mm of rainfall till 8:30 PM, and 22.4 mm of rainfall was recorded overnight in Indore. In the last 24 hours till Friday morning, Dewas received a substantial 125 mm of rainfall. Meghnagar in Jhabua recorded 123 mm of rainfall, followed by 107 mm in Badnawar of Dhar, 106 mm in Mandsaur, and 98 mm in Hatpipaliya (Dewas). The rainfall brought down local temperatures and led to increased water levels in regional streams and rivers. Heavy rains continued to affect other parts of the Malwa and Nimar regions. In Khargone, the Sirvel waterfall on the Kunda river began flowing again after days of consistent rain. In Ratlam's Sailana area, the Kedarnath waterfall—usually active in July or August—was gushing with full force after two inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours, pushing the seasonal total to 304 mm. However, the rainfall also caused disruptions. In Mandsaur, a youth on a two-wheeler fell into an open chamber on Station Road during waterlogging caused by one and a half hours of downpour. In Jaora, roads turned into rivers after 76 mm of rain in just 30 minutes. Water overflowed from rooftops and flooded lower colonies in Mandsaur, prompting the municipal team to operate pump houses for hours. According to IMD scientist Dr Divya E Surendran, two active weather systems—a trough from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and a cyclonic circulation over northeast Madhya Pradesh—are expected to keep the monsoon vigorous across the state for at least five more days.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
More showers bringing city to a standstill may follow soon
Bhopal: The heavy showers on Thursday night brought the city to a standstill. The streets in low-lying areas were waterlogged on Friday morning. The absence of strong showers during the day helped in clearing the water. However, similar weather situations were in the offing, as the possibility of more such spells of rain was underlined for the city. The day temperature in Bhopal on Friday was recorded at 30.0 mm of rain, four degrees less than the normal mark, while the night temperature in the city was 24.2 degrees Celsius, which was at the normal mark. In the past 24 hours till 8.30 am on Friday, the city recorded a total of 26.6 mm of rain, while from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm during the day, the city recorded 8.0 mm of rain. In the forecast for Bhopal on Saturday, the meteorological dept stated the weather would be generally cloudy with moderate rainfall. Day and night temperatures would be respectively 30 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, while the average wind speed will be sixteen kilometres per hour. In the forecast for the state, the meteorological dept issued a warning of very heavy rainfall in Mandsaur, Neemuch, Guna, Singrauli, and Damoh districts. A warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with lightning was issued for Vidisha, Rajgarh, Khandwa, Khargone, Alirajpur, Jhabua, Dhar, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, Agar, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Bhind, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Umaria, Katni, Jabalpur, Sagar, and Maihar districts.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Heavy rainfall across districts, Sajjangarh receives 130mm
Jaipur: Several districts experienced precipitation accompanied by lightning during the afternoon hours. While Jaipur city recorded light scattered showers, the surrounding districts saw moderate rainfall. People in Jaipur witnessed mild showers during the early morning hours, followed by cloudy conditions. In the afternoon, scattered rainfall was observed in and around Jaipur, especially in the western parts of the city. Many places near Sikar Road, Jhotwara, Murlipura, Vaishali Nagar, and Niwaru Road experienced mild to moderate showers. Lightning was also witnessed in Jaipur; however, no casualties or injuries were reported. The weather remained pleasant due to the showers, with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius recorded in the city. Sajjangarh (Banswara) received 130 mm and was followed by Bassi, where 110 mm of rainfall was recorded. Other areas included Sagwada (Dungarpur) with 100 mm, Atru (Baran) with 90 mm, Dhambola (Dungarpur) with 80 mm, Bagidora (Banswara), Sanchore (Jalore), and Suratgarh (Sriganganagar) with 70 mm, Shergarh (Banswara) with 60 mm, and Peelibanga (Hanumangarh) with 50 mm. Rainfall varying between 10 mm and 40 mm was recorded at several places in the state. Many places in Banswara and Dungarpur districts witnessed moderate to heavy showers, causing trouble for the people. Mild to moderate showers were also observed in the Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions. Heavy rainfall was noted in the Udaipur division, especially in Banswara district, where many villages had rampant waterlogging.
