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☆ In pictures: July set to be world's hottest month on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Some 20,000 people were forced to leave homes and hotels in Rhodes over the weekend as the inferno that began last Tuesday reached coastal resorts on the Greek island's southeast. The Civil Protection authority warned the threat of further fires was high in almost every part of Greece, which is in the grip of a record-breaking heatwave.

Locations: Rhodes, Greece

☆ Women's World Cup: Day 8
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Locations: Rhodes, Greece

☆ Deadly wildfires rage across Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Locations: Rhodes, Greece

[1/3] Destroyed truck carriages are seen in a factory yard as a wildfire burns at the city of Volos, in central Greece, July 27, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandros AvramidisVOLOS, Greece, July 27 (Reuters) - Firefighters in Greece battled flames burning for the 10th day on the island of Rhodes, while new blazes erupted on the mainland that destroyed farms and factories overnight and left farmers rushing to evacuate their animals. Officials ordered the evacuation of several communities in the hard-hit area of Magnesia, a coastal area north of Athens. The body of a 45-year old shepherd was found in a rural area on Wednesday evening, the fire brigade said. The fire brigade said more that 500 wildfires have burned in Greece so far this year.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Kostas Koukouvinos, Rhodes, Vassilis Kikilias, Karolina Tagaris, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Firefighters, ERT, Civil, Thomson Locations: Volos, Greece, Alexandros Avramidis VOLOS, Rhodes, Magnesia, Athens, Lamia, Kymi, Evia, Portugal, Sicily, Algeria

☆ Women's World Cup: Day 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Locations: Rhodes, Greece

☆ Wildfires rage across the Mediterranean destroying land and claiming lives
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau Hamdi Alkhshali Martin Goillandeau Isa Soares Sugam Pokharel Elinda Labropoulou Chris Liakos Hande Atay Alam Laura Paddison | Barbie Latza Nadeau | Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

More than 8,000 firefighters have been deployed to control the blazes as residents living near forested areas were evacuated, according to EPTV. Nasri Elyas/APThe Algerian Ministry of the Interior announced at least 34 deaths in multiple forest fires across the country. A 98-year-old man died as flames reached his home in the coastal city of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, according to ANSA. Flames burn a tree in Vati village, on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, southeastern Greece, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty ImagesIn Turkey, forest wildfires ignited Monday night in the southern Mediterranean province of Antalya, according to Antalya Municipality’s statement.

Persons: Nasri Elyas, Billel, Nello Musumeci, ”, Alberto Lo Bianco, Fabrizio Villa, Maria Feggou, ” Feggou, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Petros Giannakouris, Angelos Tzortzinis, Muhittin Bocek, “, ” Bocek Organizations: CNN, EPTV, Reuters, Algerian Ministry of, Interior, ANSA, Civil, Twitter, Residents, Hellenic Red Cross, Greek Air Force, Getty, Anadolu Locations: Italy, Greece, Algeria, North, Bourbatache, Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzo, Puglia, Reggio Calabria, Palermo, Capaci, Catania, Rhodes, Corfu, Evia, Crete, Vati, AFP, Turkey, Antalya, Antalya’s Kemer, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatian

ROME, July 26 (Reuters) - Italy announced measures on Wednesday to help families and businesses hit by extreme climate events, as the country reels from a heatwave in the south and fierce storms in the north. A draft seen by Reuters showed that the decree had a cost of 10 million euros ($11.09 million) for state coffers. The government is ready to earmark some 10 million euros to refund airline tickets and hotel reservations to tourists without insurance coverage, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said. The Lombardy region around Milan has already asked the government to declare a state of emergency and has estimated damage of over 40 million euros, Musumeci said. The state of emergency, one approved by the government, removes bureaucratic obstacles and speeds up procedures to provide financial help.

Persons: Giorgia, Marina Calderone, Nello Musumeci, Musumeci Organizations: heatwave, Labour, Reuters, Civil, Thomson Locations: Italy, Sicily, Catania, Etna, Milan, Lombardy

☆ Three dead as Sicily counts losses from 'devastating' fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Another woman in her late 80s died in the Palermo province after an ambulance was unable to reach her home due to fires in the area. In an overnight message on Facebook, Sicilian President Renato Schifani said "scorching heat and unprecedented devastating fires" had turned Tuesday into "one of the most difficult days in decades". Fires were still burning on the hills around Palermo on Wednesday, with Canadair planes back in operation to try to douse the flames. Large areas of the Mediterranean have been sweltering under an intense summer heatwave on Tuesday, causing deadly blazes across the region. "I hope that tourist flows in the areas affected by the fires will not suffer losses," Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci, a Sicilian, told the La Stampa newspaper.

Persons: Renato Schifani, Nello Musumeci, Alvise, Keith Weir Organizations: Facebook, Canadair, La Stampa, Thomson Locations: Sicily, Palermo, Sicilian, Calabria, Catania, Rome, Bari, Puglia

☆ Deadly wildfires scorch Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Locations: Rhodes, Greece

CNN —Italy is facing multiple kinds of extreme weather at once, with southern parts of the country scorched by blistering heat, while the north is battered by deadly storms. On Tuesday alone, extreme weather killed at least three people, according to Italian authorities. Fabrizio Radaelli/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockAs storms disrupt the north, the south is sweltering under an extreme heat wave. Ufficio Stampa Gesap via ReutersMost budget airlines have been diverted to Trapani airport, according to the Palermo airport authority. Catania has also been affected by power and water supply cuts in part because of the extreme heat, according to Reuters.

Persons: Fabrizio Radaelli, Palermo’s Falcone, Falcone, Borsellino, Stampa, Nello Musumeci, ” Musumeci Organizations: CNN, Firefighters, SkyTG24, Stampa Gesap, Reuters, Twitter Locations: Italy, Veneto, Sicily, Palermo, Trapani, Catania

☆ Wildfires in Greece burn for days, more tourists expected to fly out
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A fire fighting aircraft drops water over a wildfire close to village of Vati in southern Rhodes on July 25, 2023. Greece battled to contain wildfires on the island of Rhodes for a seventh day on Tuesday, as hundreds of tourists who had been forced to evacuate in previous days were expected to fly back to their countries. Greece is often hit by wildfires during the summer but climate change has led to more extreme heatwaves across southern Europe, raising concerns that tourists will stay away. Wildfires also raged on the island of Corfu, off the west cost of Greece, and Evia island, near the capital of Athens. Civil protection authorities warned of extreme risk of wildfires in Rhodes and on the island of Crete on Tuesday.

Persons: Rhodes Organizations: Reuters, Rhodes Locations: Vati, Rhodes, Greece, Europe, Turkey, Slovakia, Gennadi, Corfu, Evia, Athens, Crete

☆ Tourists flee Greek island Rhodes wildfire, thousands evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A wildfire which has raged on the Greek island of Rhodes for six days forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. Many fled their hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. Climate change means heatwaves will become more frequent, an advisor to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Saturday. The fire has scorched swathes of forest and several buildings since breaking out in a mountainous area on Tuesday.

Persons: Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios Organizations: Coastguard, Mega, Reuters, World Meteorological Organization, Firefighters Locations: Rhodes, Kiotari, Lindos, Greece, Southern Europe

ATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - A wildfire raging on the Greek island of Rhodes forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. One government official told Reuters 19,000 people had been moved away from their homes and hotels, 3,000 of them by boat. Large groups gathered in the streets under a red sky waiting to be taken to safety. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. "Customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flight home", it sad in a statement.

Persons: Amy Leyden, Leyden, Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios, Jet2, TUI, Renee Maltezou, Elizabeth Piper, Frank Jack Daniel, Frances Kerry Organizations: Correndon, Reuters, Sky News, Volunteers, Mega, Firefighters, World Meteorological Organization, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, TUI, Greece, Kiotari, Lindos, Southern Europe

☆ Wildfire on Greek island of Rhodes forces hundreds to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Smoke rises from a wildfire in Rhodes Island, Greece, July 22, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Tiktok/@blairsbrainiacs/via REUTERSATHENS, July 22 (Reuters) - A wildfire raged uncontrolled on the Greek island of Rhodes on Saturday, forcing hundreds of people to flee affected villages and beaches, authorities said. It damaged three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years. Meteorologists have warned that the current sweltering temperatures are expected to last until the end of the month.

Persons: Angeliki, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Coastguard, coastguard, Firefighters, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: Rhodes Island, Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Slovakia

☆ Europe weather: Heatwave in Greece likely to become longest one country has ever recorded
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Duarte Mendonca | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A heat wave baking Greece is likely to become the longest the country has ever recorded, experts say, as the country battles wildfires and restricts access to its popular tourist sites. He told CNN that the streak could go beyond those days, but at the moment “it’s hard to predict.”The longest continuous heatwave that Greece has faced was 12 days long, back in July 1987, Lagouvardos said. The country also experienced record-breaking heat, with capital Rome hitting a new high temperature of 41 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Scientists are warning that the extreme weather may only be a preview of what’s to come as the planet warms. “The weather extremes will continue to become more intense and our weather patterns could change in ways we yet can’t predict,” said Peter Stott, a science fellow in climate attribution at the UK Met Office told CNN.

Persons: National Observatory of Athens Kostas Lagouvardos, Lagouvardos, Socrates Baltagiannis, ”, Peter Stott Organizations: CNN, Staff, Research, National Observatory of, Reuters, Getty, Rome, UK Met Office Locations: Greece, National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Rhodes, Europe, Veneto, Balkans

☆ Rhodes wildfire forces mass evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said an operation was ongoing to evacuate about 600 people from beaches in Kiotari and Gennadi towards Plimmiri. Firefighters, backed by air water bombers and reinforcements by Slovakia, struggled with new outbreaks of the wildfire, which was fanned by strong winds. [1/18]A wildfire burns in a forest near Lardos, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 22, 2023. It damaged at least three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years.

Persons: Nikos Alexiou, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, Konstantinos Taraslias, Rhodes, Taraslias, Angeliki Koutantou, Frances Kerry, Mike Harrison, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Coastguard, coastguard, Authorities, Firefighters, REUTERS, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Plimmiri, Pefki, Slovakia, Lardos, Greece, Laerma

☆ Extreme heat in the Mediterranean could dent tourist bookings in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This can be attributed to travelers seeking out less crowded destinations, and milder temperatures,” the association said. This summer’s extreme temperatures follow blistering heat last year. Meanwhile, online searches for northern European destinations increased by 3 percentage points to hit 10%. Southern Europe still popular with BritsDespite rocketing temperatures, countries in southern Europe are still the go-to spots for many vacationers. Spain, Greece and Turkey are still “by far the most popular [destinations],” he said, which hasn’t “changed at all.”— Barbie Latza Nadeau and Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Olivier Ponti, ”, —, Johan Lundgren, Giuseppe Napolitano, Thomas Cook, Sean Tipton, hasn’t “, ” — Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos Organizations: London CNN —, European Travel Commission, Tourism Council, Tourists, CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, British, Med Locations: London CNN — Spain, Italy, Europe, Brussels, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, Athens, United Kingdom, Rome, Nicosia, Cyprus, Catania, Sicily, Southern Europe, Turkey

☆ Police hunt for escaped lion on southern edge of Berlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, July 20 (Reuters) - Police have warned the public to stay indoors on the south-western edge of Berlin while they search for a wild animal in the area believed to be an escaped lion. "We are currently working on the assumption that the animal is a lioness," the spokesperson told Reuters via telephone. The search area currently covers the Brandenburg municipalities of Kleinmachnow and Stahnsdorf. Earlier Thursday, Berlin police had tweeted that the area on high alert included the capital's southern edge. Asked where the wild animal may have come from, the police spokesperson said it was not clear.

Persons: Rachel More, Friederike Heine, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Police, Berlin, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Berlin, Brandenburg, Kleinmachnow

☆ Europe weather: 110 people injured by tennis ball sized hail in Veneto, Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 110 people have been injured after tennis ball-sized hail rained down on a region of northern Italy overnight Wednesday. In a surprise storm, hailstones of up to 10 cm in diameter pelted the streets of Veneto, according to regional president Luca Zaia. Emergency services responded to more than 500 calls for help due to damage to property and personal injuries, the Veneto regional civil protection said. The Italian Meteorological Society named the latest heat wave Cerberus after the three-headed monster that features in Dante’s Inferno as a guard to the gates of hell. “The earth has a high fever and Italy is feeling it firsthand,” Luca Mercalli, head of the Italian Meteorological Society, told CNN.

Persons: Luca Zaia, ” Zaia, ” Luca Mercalli, Emilia Romagna, ‘ Organizations: CNN, Workers, Sky24, Italian Meteorological Society Locations: Italy, Veneto, Europe, Spain, Greece, Rome, Italian, Emilia

[1/4] A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Pournari, Greece, July 18, 2023. The blaze raged in the area of Dervenochoria about 30 km (18.6 miles) north of Athens. Fire fighters managed to contain other blazes southeast and west of the Greek capital but the fronts were still active. A mayor told Greek television that more than 7,000 acres of land was reduced to ashes along a coast, where many Athenians have holiday homes. Greece still has memories of a wildfire disaster in 2018, when a blaze killed 101 people in the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Janez Lenarcic, Kyriakos, Giorgos Nikolaou, Angeliki Koutantou, Stelios Misinas, Lefteris Papadimas, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Union, Greek Fire Service, Fire, Canadair, EU Crisis, Thomson Locations: Pournari, Greece, DERVENOCHORIA, Athens, Dervenochoria, France, Italy, Brussels, America, Kouvaras, Anavyssos, Lagonissi, Loutraki, Mati

☆ Factbox: Europe sees another year of droughts and wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, heat waves resulted in over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. Below is a list of the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings issued in Europe. **********CROATIAA bushfire near the coastal town of Sibenik quickly spread on July 13, fuelled by strong southerly winds. Emergency services were also dealing with fires on the island of Evia, east of Athens, and Aigio, southwest of Athens. RUSSIAIn central Russia's Urals region, in the small village of Shaidurikha near Yekaterinburg, wildfires spread on July 12 and caused significant damage.

Persons: BRGM, Rhodes, El, Dina Kartit, Gaëlle Sheehan, Piotr Lipiński, Alexandra Hudson, Milla Nissi Organizations: Firefighters, Flames, El Pais, Caldera, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Swiss, TURKEY, Directorate of Forestry, Thomson Locations: Europe, Sicily, CROATIA, Sibenik, Grebastica, FRANCE, Nouvelle, Aquitaine, Occitanie, Grand Est, Bouches, Du, Rhone, Corsica, France, GREECE, Corfu, Evia, Athens, Cyprus, Israel, Italy, ITALY, Calabria, Italian, Rome, Lazio, PORTUGAL Mainland Portugal, May, RUSSIA, Russia's, Shaidurikha, Yekaterinburg, SPAIN, La Palma, Spanish, Spain, Bitsch, Valais, Turkey's, Hatay, Mersin, Canakkale, Turkish

KOUVARAS, Greece, July 17 (Reuters) - Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged uncontrolled through coastal towns near Athens on Monday forcing residents to flee their homes and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of children from a summer camp. The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) southeast of the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said. Dozens of horses were evacuated in trucks as the flames reached stables in the nearby areas of Kalyvia and Anavyssos. [1/10]Flames approach a house as a wildfire burns in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17. There is a very high risk for fires," Artopoios said adding that strong winds will persist.

Persons: Ioannis Artopoios, Stelios Misinas, Artopoios, Greece's, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, We've, Stamos, Lefteris, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Reuters, Police, Fire, Flames, REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: KOUVARAS, Greece, Athens, Kouvaras, Lagonisi, Kalyvia, Loutraki, Saronida, Dervenochoria, Brussels, Mati

The European Space Agency (ESA), whose satellites monitor land and sea temperatures, has warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing extreme conditions. Temperatures next week could break Europe's current record - 48.8 Celsius recorded in Sicily in August 2021. [1/5]A woman cools off near a fan at a caf?, during a heatwave across Italy, in Rome, Italy, July 14, 2023. ACROPOLIS NOT NOWIn Athens, with temperatures peaking above 40 Celsius, authorities closed the Acropolis Hill, home to the Parthenon temple that is visited by millions of tourists every year, from noon to 5 p.m. (0900 GMT-1400 GMT). Others were brought down from the Acropolis Hill in golf carts and transferred to wheelchairs.

Persons: BURNS, Joan Ballester, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Angel Abad, Abad, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Angeliki, Stamos Prousalis, Antonio Bronic, Malgorzata, Horaci Garcia, Guillermo Martinez Catherine Macdonald, Rachel Norstrant, Rich McKay, Keith Weir, Gavin Jones, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Phoenix, European Space Agency, ESA, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, caf, REUTERS, Reuters, Madrid's La, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, PHOENIX, Greece, Acropolis, Europe, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Sicily, El, United States, Phoenix, Arizona, Portugal, Rome, ACROPOLIS, Athens, Croatia, Madrid's La Paz

CNN —A blistering and deadly heat wave in Italy this week could break records, with temperatures predicted to soar past 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country. The warning comes on the heels of a report published in Nature on Monday, which found that last year’s heat wave killed 61,672 people in Europe. The heat wave is also affecting other European countries including France, Germany and Spain. This heat wave follows another one in Spain in April, which saw temperatures soar to 38.8 degrees Celsius, smashing the previous national monthly record. Scientists found that this heat wave – which also affected Portugal, Morocco and Algeria – was made 100 times more likely by the human-caused climate crisis.

Persons: ” Luca Mercalli, Nicola Fratoianni, ” Fratoianni, Giuseppe Napolitano, Emanuele Perrone, Mercalli, Gregorio Borgia, Cerberus, Algeria – Organizations: CNN, Italian Meteorological Society, Twitter, Health Locations: Italy, Italian, Lodi, Rome, Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, Europe, Florence, Bologna, Nature, United States, Sicily, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria

☆ Iceland police restrict access to erupting volcano spewing toxic gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] View from Reykjavik towards the area where a volcano eruption was taking place on the Reykjanes peninsula, in Iceland, July 10, 2023. REUTERS/Sigurdur DavidssonCOPENHAGEN, July 11 (Reuters) - Icelandic police have restricted access to a volcano that has been spewing out "life-threatening toxic gas pollution" since it began erupting on Monday, the department of civil protection and emergency management said. "The police, after counsel from scientists, have decided to restrict access to the eruption site due to enormous and life-threatening toxic gas pollution," the department said. "For the next hours, it is highly likely that gas will build up around the eruption site due to low wind. Those who have already undertaken the hike to the eruption site, or are already there, are strongly advised to leave the area," it said.

Persons: Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Residents, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Reykjavik, Iceland, COPENHAGEN

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