Wildfires near Athens have prompted precautionary evacuations as temperatures rise and winds pick up speed. Hundreds of firefighters are on the scene. A persistent heatwave has contributed to the blazes.A wildfire raging near Athens, Greece, has prompted authorities to evacuate a nearby residential community with thousands of seaside homes.

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The fire broke out in Kouvras, roughly 27 kilometers (17 miles) southeast of the capital, damaging several homes.

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A spokesman for the regional fire department said, "It's a difficult fire, the winds are really strong."

High winds with gusts of up to 70 kph (45 mph) have fanned the flames as it devours vegetation and threatens nearby buildings.

Greek authorities say as many as 150 firefighters are on the scene, using 40 fire engines and 11 extinguishing aircraft to get the blaze under control.

Fires come amid heatwave

Later on Monday, Greece's Hellenic Fire Service reported that a second blaze had broken out in woods near the resort town of Loutraki, about 90 kilometers west of Athens.

Despite a short respite on the weekend, Greece, like other parts of southern Europe, has seen sweltering temperatures over the past week. They are forecast to go up again this week.

The high temperatures — central Greece saw the mercury hit 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) — combined with high winds, have led to Greater Athens and southern Greece being put under high alert for wildfires.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Monday that a heatwave affecting the Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey, is likely to intensify this week.

js/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2023 09:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).