Greece in the grip of fires, ‘historic’ heat wave

Greece continues to be plagued by a “historic heatwave,” as it is defined by forecasters, as firefighters are busy in various areas of the country to put out drought-fueled fires. At least 16 people were hospitalized on the Peloponnese peninsula due to respiratory problems, while numerous homes in the town of Egion were destroyed by flames. Civil protection reported that the fires in the area are now under control, although the risk of new fires remains high. Temperatures in recent days have reached 43 degrees, while for today in some areas it could reach 45 degrees. A new peak is expected between tomorrow and Tuesday, which will lead to temperatures around 30 degrees in urban centers even at night. The Ministry of Labor has recommended limiting outdoor activities as much as possible, and in the meantime, a series of earthquakes have hit the islands of the Dodecanese in the southeastern Aegean. The most violent, recorded this morning, had a magnitude of 5.3. No damage to people or structures was recorded. The epicenter was recorded in Nisyros a volcanic island where a thousand people reside. Geologists have yet to determine whether the tremors were caused by the island’s volcanic activity.