WILDFIRES in Greece continue to worsen as authorities continue to battle a wildfire that has raged across Rhodes for nearly a week.
For six days, Rhodes, a popular tourist hot spot, has been battling a raging wildfire, forcing more than 19,000 tourists to flee from the island.
Reports say the situation has been worsened by high winds with gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour on Sunday afternoon, which saw the flames spread into a ferocious fire front measuring about 30 kilometers long.
Meteorologists warned that more strong winds could exacerbate the wildfire and spread it further across the island, leading to even more difficult conditions as temperatures also hover around the 44-degrees-Celsius mark.
Greece experienced sizzling temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius in the last two days— hottest weekend in the country in 5 five decades.
Meanwhile, a number of volunteers are doing their best with a limited few fire trucks and fire brigades trying to put out the fire.
They were seen using makeshift means like shovels, water bottles, and whatever they have got to hand in an effort to slow the spread of the blaze into any nearby villages and communities.
With thousands evacuated from Rhodes, many sports facilities, gymnasiums and schools were open for these people to sleep over the night.
They were provided some food, drinks and refreshments to make sure that they can stay cool.
