Thousands Flee Wildfires Across Greece as Heat Withers Crops

Greek coastguard vessels evacuated tourists and locals, while a volunteer firefighter died in Spain as authorities struggled to quell blazes across the Mediterranean.

A wildfire in Volissos forced evacuations from two beaches on the island of Chios, with strong winds making it difficult to contain outbreaks. Thousands fled the town of Kato Achaia in northwest Peloponnese — with 550 cars burnt at Patras Customs Office — while residents of Agios Konstantinos, about 48 kilometers (30 miles) west of Athens, also left their homes.

In Spain, there are five large fires, including one in the northwestern region of Ourense that has burned 35 square kilometers. A volunteer who was helping at a fire in the province of Leon died on Tuesday evening, following another fatality on Monday on the outskirts of Madrid.

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Most of southern and central Greece faces a very high fire risk on Wednesday, with a large swath of the Mediterranean from Spain to North Africa also threatened as a heat wave searing the region reaches a peak. Wildfires continue to burn in Turkey, where one person was reportedly killed after a water truck overturned en route to fight a blaze in Osmaniye province.

Red heat warnings have been issued for France, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Cyprus, as a high-pressure system is amplified by wind patterns boosted by the remnants of tropical storm Dexter.

Temperatures are forecast to reach 42C (111F) in parts of Spain and the Rhone valley in France on Wednesday. Temperatures in the UK will climb as high as 34C, according to the Met Office.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves in Europe, the fastest-warming continent. That’s triggering more extreme weather events such as the deadly wildfires, violent storms and flooding.

Storms could bring relief to some areas in the coming days, but unseasonably warm temperatures are forecast to last through the weekend.

Europe’s fourth major heat wave of the summer is stressing crops across the region.

The US Department of Agriculture, which makes global crop forecasts, cut its outlook for European Union corn and sunflower production in a Tuesday report. Dry, sweltering weather in the Balkans has hampered the development of both crops, it said.

The heat wave is also straining power systems by boosting cooling demand while curbing nuclear output.

Electricite de France SA said it would likely curb output at three sites — Bugey, Tricastin and Golfech — over the coming days as high temperatures on the Rhone and Garonne rivers threaten its cooling operations.