Athens threatened by fires and power cuts as warning issued to tourists – live

As wildfires rage through mainland Greece, prospective travellers may be worried about how this will impact their holiday plans.

A spokesperson for Jet2 told The Independent: “Our flight schedule to and from Athens is currently operating as normal however we continue to closely monitor the situation and the advice of the relevant authorities. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority.”

Ryanair confirmed it is operating as usual and will follow guidance from local authorities.

The Independent has reached out to British Airways and EasyJet for comment.

Greece’s coast guard ordered all ferries going to and from the nearby port of Rafina, which serves mainly the Cycladic islands and Crete, to be diverted to the port of Lavrion due to the fire.

Meteorologists and government officials have warned of the heightened danger of wildfires because of weather conditions from Sunday until Thursday, with half of the country placed under a “red alert” for wildfire hazard.

Climate change is projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 per cent by 2030, according to a UN report.

Intense, long-lasting heat draws moisture out of the ground and vegetation.

Once ignited – whether by natural or human triggers – these tinder-dry conditions provide fuel for fires to spread at an incredible speed, aided by very strong winds.

The way that humans use land is also important in affecting how wildfires spread.

Wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating. Wildfires are made worse by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds resulting in hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons. 

At the same time, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests. This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures.

Summers in Greece have long been marked by wildfires but hotter, drier weather linked to climate change have made blazes more frequent and intense. Wildfires fanned by extreme heat have also raged this month in parts of Spain and the Balkans.

The southeastern Mediterranean country this year experienced its warmest winter on record and is on track for its hottest ever summer. Large areas of Greece, including the location of this week’s blaze, have seen little or no rain for months.

Greece is on high fire alert at least until Thursday with temperatures forecast to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Authorities have called for an emergency response involving the army, police and volunteers during that period.

“It’s a very large fire with very aggressive behaviour and many fronts. It’s very close to the city,” said Kostas Lagouvardos, research director of the Athens Observatory.

The wildfires have spread yo the facilities of the National Observatory of Athens on Koufos Hill in Penteli, threatening important facilities, technologies and years of research efforts.

Vassiolos Vathrakogiannis, spokesperson for the country’s fire service, has provided an updated from his organisation’s operations centre.

He said a total of 702 firefighters, supported by 27 forest commando teams, 199 vehicles, and volunteers, were fighting the ongoing wildfire that has been burning since Sunday.

A total of 30 messages have been issued via the 112 emergency service, the latest instructing residents to evacuate the settlements of New and Old Penteli, Patima Chalandriou, Patima Vrilission, Krasa Ano Vrilission, as well as from Dionysos and Kalentzi Marathon, towards safe directions, he said.

He said: “The situation remains extremely difficult in areas of northeastern Attica due to the ongoing wildfire that has been burning since yesterday.”