Wildfires on the Greek island of Kos have prompted warnings from easyJet holidays and Jet2holidays, urging customers to follow the advice from their hotels and local authorities in the event of any evacuation orders.
EasyJet holidays said it was closely monitoring a "fast-evolving wildfire situation" in the Kardamena area of the island, a sentiment echoed by Jet2holidays in an update to its customers.
In an update issued at 10am on Tuesday (2 July), easyJet holidays said it had been advised by local authorities the wildfire "was being brought under control".
Hundreds of firefighters on Monday (1 July) fought fires on Kos as well as on the more northerly island of Chios, supported by a number of firefighting aircraft and helicopters.
Update: Mayor of Kos thanks trade for support following wildfire
According to reports in Greece’s national press, more than 50 wildfires were reported in a 24-hour period, prompting Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to warn of a "particularly dangerous" summer for wildfires.
"We have had an exceptionally difficult June regarding weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season," Sky News reports Mitsotakis as saying.
It comes after a challenging summer last year for Greece, in particular, and several other destinations in the southern Mediterranean after wildfires raged across the region, with the Greek island of Rhodes experiencing the most severe consequences.
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