Med destinations on high alert as wildfires blaze across southern Europe

Greece, Italy and Croatia have all been affected by wildfires after the region endured, and continues to endure, one of the biggest and most prolonged heatwaves ever recorded.

Crete has become the latest Greek island to be placed on wildfire alert after temperatures reached 39C on Wednesday (26 July).

Greece’s civil protection agency has declared there to be a "very high fire risk" on the island, placing it alongside Corfu and particularly Rhodes, where fires are ongoing and are expected to continue for several days after causing devastation across southern areas of the island.

In Italy, wildfires have blazed in southern regions such as Sicily and Sardinia, while northern regions have conversely been hit by torrential rain, causing flash flooding. 

In recent days, both Palermo and Catania’s airports were forced to shut temporarily due to wildfires, while several services to Olbia airport were delayed or diverted after the runway became too hot for flights to land.

’Climate upheaval’

Italy’s civil protection minister Nello Musumeci wrote on Facebook: “We are experiencing in Italy one of the most complicated days in recent decades – rainstorms, tornadoes and giant hail in the north, and scorching heat and devastating fires in the centre and south.

“The climate upheaval that has hit our country demands a change of attitude from all of us, at all levels.”