Major fires have been raging in Europe for weeks now, with southern European countries such as Greece and Türkiye being the most directly affected by this prolonged heat wave.
Last Thursday, the Greek government deployed additional troops to help fight the fires. The country also received two firefighting planes from Cyprus. At a press conference Friday evening, Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said more help would come from France, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.
Also on Thursday, Vasilis Vathrakoyiannis, a spokesman for a fire department, said there were 120 fires burning across the country, with the largest and most worrying fires in Olympia and on the island of Evia.
Below are some notable images captured from the fires.
Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in the yard of a house in the Dekelia-Tatoi forest, on the outskirts of Athens. (Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
People help rescue teams put out a fire in the town of Oren, southern Türkiye. (Photo: Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
Men try to herd sheep away from a fire-stricken road in Mugla province, southwestern Turkey. (Photo: Yasin Akgul / Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
After an overnight battle, firefighters have brought the blaze under control, which was approaching a power plant in Milas, in the province of Mugla, Greece. (Photo: Yasin Akgul/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
Tourists wait to be evacuated as a fire sweeps down the hill towards the shores of Bodrum, Türkiye. Across the country, visitors have been left with no choice but to abandon once-beautiful tourist beaches. (Photo: Emre Tazegul/Associated Press)
Volunteer firefighters in Türkiye provide relief in the village of Turgut, near the tourist resort of Marmaris. (Photo: Emre Tazegul/Associated Press)
People leave a fire-ravaged village in Sirtkoy, Türkiye. (Photo: Associated Press)
People wait on the street in the Marmaris area, Türkiye. (Photo: Yasin Akgul/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
Smoke covers a hotel complex on Türkiye's southern coast, near the town of Manavgat. (Photo: Ilyas Akengin/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
A wildfire has swept near the Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. To protect the birthplace of the Olympic Games, local authorities and the military have dug a firebreak around the ancient site in southern Greece to contain the blaze. (Photo: Eurokinissi, Agence France-Presse - Getty Images Images)
The aftermath of a fire north of Athens. (Photo: Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
A photo of the Acropolis shrouded in smog in the heart of Athens. Tourists visiting the Greek capital see only thick smoke hanging like curtains over the city's heritage. (Photo: Louisa Gouliamaki/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images)
A man stands guard as flames approach the village of Pefki, Evia Island. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
The mountains near the village of Limni, on the island of Evia, are engulfed in flames. In this photograph, the sun is barely visible through the thick smoke that hangs over the cliff-side houses. (Photo: Michael Pappas/Associated Press)
Some people turned on water taps to put out the flames, trying to prevent the fire from getting closer to their homes. (Photo: Yiannis Kolesidis/EPA, Shutterstock)
A helicopter collects water near the village of Lampiri, Greece. (Photo: Milos Bicanski/Getty Images)
A wildfire destroys homes near the coastal town of Manavgat, Türkiye. (Photo: Suat Metin/IHA, Associated Press)
Scientists have not yet had time to examine the link between this intense heatwave and global warming, but it is clear that climate change is a major factor in the current extreme weather in Europe. Several studies have shown that in recent years, major heatwaves across Europe have been exacerbated by climate change.
Efthymis Lekkas, professor of disaster preparedness at the University of Athens, warned of a "persistent nightmare in August" and urged authorities to prepare for floods as large swathes of forest are destroyed by fires.
