UK tourists heading to Greece have been warned of dangerous conditions following the death of a holidaymaker on the island of Skiathos. Greek authorities have issued heatwave warnings after a number of incidents and as temperatures hit 40C in the hottest part of the year.
The Greek Ministry for Civil Protection and Climate Change said temperatures could even head over 40C in current heatwaves, which follow record temperatures in June. Neighbouring North Macedonia has issued also a heat alert.
People are being urged to stay indoors at the hottest time of the day, to wear light clothing but keep covered and to avoid walking in the hot sun – while always keeping hydrated.
The heat has also seen a number of wildfires start in Greece, especially across the north of the country. On Friday, a 66-year-old British woman drowned at a Greek beach after losing consciousness while swimming in Skiathos.
The woman was found unconscious in the water by a lifeguard at Skiathos’ Achladies beach. Attempts were made to save her at the scene before she was taken to nearby Skiathos Health Centre, but she could not be saved.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesman said: “We have offered consular support to the friends of a British woman who has died in Greece.”
Six tourists are reported to have died in the heat in Greece in June, with incidents in Crete., Kalymnos and Symi.
Neighbouring North Macedonia asked for help from the European Union on Tuesday to combat wildfires that continue to burn out of control in heatwave temperatures and have crossed the southern border into Greece.
Large wildfires in parts of North Macedonia this week destroyed and damaged homes, forced evacuations and claimed the life of an elderly resident in a village some 37 miles east of the capital Skopje.
Authorities said the man is believed to have died on Monday of smoke inhalation. One blaze crossed into Greece where two air tankers and a helicopter helped the firefighters hold back a fire from reaching a forest on the Greek banks of Lake Doiran which is shared by the two countries, authorities said.
Near Athens, firefighters contained a large blaze on the Greek island of Evia, helped by 13 water-dropping aircraft and six helicopters operating after first light on Tuesday. Two firefighters were being treated for burns.
Successive heat waves have helped trigger fires across the Balkan region and elsewhere in southern Europe, with several countries including Bulgaria and Albania currently receiving international firefighting assistance through an EU support system.
A wildfire in western Albania was being held back on Tuesday in the coastal area of Shengjin, some 45 miles northwest of the capital of Tirana. Fire chief Arben Cara said military assistance had been requested to provide water-dropping helicopters, while soldiers and firefighters from other parts of the country were also helping.
Fuelled by strong winds and high temperatures, a fire in central Croatia forced dozens of people to evacuate their homes near the small town of Skradin. In neighbouring Bosnia, a fire in a remote, mountainous area near the central town of Olovo spread, threatening a local landfill, according to local media reports.
Firefighters in the south of the country, controlled a fire near the city of Mostar that came close to business warehouses.