rhodes tourist boat fire

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Dozens of tourists are safely evacuated after their boat catches fire off Greek island of Rhodes

• Copy Link copied

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Dozens of tourists were safely evacuated from a boat that caught fire Thursday off the Greek resort island of Rhodes, authorities said.

The coast guard said all passengers were safely taken to land after the blaze broke out about 300 meters (1,000 feet) offshore. Officials were not immediately able to say how many people had been on board.

State-run ERT TV said the boat was carrying 82 people and no one was hurt. It said the fire broke out as the vessel was sailing off the area of Archangelos on the island’s eastern coast.

Greece: Tourists evacuated after wooden boat catches fire off coast

The fire started half an hour into the boat journey in Rhodes, according to local media. Passengers were reportedly evacuated on lifeboats back to shore and nobody was injured.

Sunday 2 July 2023 10:23, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Bench across Britain: Behind the scenes

Swiss town hit by heavy rainfall

'I just want him back'

UK being 'despoiled, polluted and destroyed'

Where are rescuers looking for Jay Slater?

Rescuers free tangled humpback whale

IDF footage of 'launch site' strike

'Come on Scotland!'

'I don't agree with Rachel Reeves'

Hunt for teenager enters sixth day

Taylor Swift: Prince William 'shakes it off'

Sunak brands Farage 'dangerous'

World's ugliest dog revealed

Pm condemns farage's ukraine war comments.

'Israeli tank shells hit tent camp in Rafah'

Farage called out over comments

Why are voters choosing Reform UK?

Naomi: I want people to understand me

Rhodes wildfire forces thousands of evacuations, tourists flee

• Medium Text
• Greece moves 19,000 people to safety, some by boat
• Tourists flee hotels, gather on beaches
• "We went from paradise to hell," tourist says
• Operators cancel flights to Rhodes
• Climate change exacerbates heat waves

TEMPERATURE SPIKE STOKES FLAMES

LOCAL GENEROSITY

Sign up here.

Reporting by Fedja Gruolvic in Rhodes, Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou in Athens; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Hollie Adams in London, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, Andi Kranz in Cologne, Mathieu Rosemain in Paris and Justyna Pawkak in Warsaw; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Barbara Lewis, Frances Kerry and Chris Reese

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Capri battles water emergency as it prepares to allow tourists back

Tourists who have booked a hotel on Capri will be allowed back onto the Italian island as the local administration works to secure water supplies after damage to the aqueduct on the mainland deprived it of running water.

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate

200 firefighters and 40 fire engines are trying to control the blaze, which has been burning for five days, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails.

Thousands of holidaymakers and residents have been forced to evacuate their homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes, as wildfires raged for a fifth day.

Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats evacuated at least 2,000 people from beaches on the south of the island, and in total an estimated 30,000 people have been moved to safety, local officials said.

Long queues of tourists were videoed walking with their luggage along a road as part of an evacuation operation, while smoke could be seen in the background.

Those evacuated are being housed at an indoor stadium and at hotels on the island, said Konstantinos Taraslias, a deputy mayor of Rhodes. Three passenger ferries were also committed to host tourists during the night, the coastguard said.

The wildfire had been confined to the island’s mountainous centre, but aided by winds, high temperatures and dry conditions, it began to spread more widely on Saturday.

Local media reported the fires had reached three hotels, which had already been evacuated.

Fire Service spokesperson Yannis Artopios said on Saturday afternoon that residents of four localities were sent SMS messages to evacuate – in two places they were told to move to the northeast and in two others to the southwest. The British Embassy in Athens has also told people in Kiotari and Gennadi to evacuate to Plymiri.

Tourists told how they had been forced to walk for hours in the searing heat to try and escape the smoke.

“Currently stranded in Rhodes escaping the wildfires on foot – left everything at the hotel and fled with towels across our faces”, said Paul Kalburgi on Twitter.

“My youngest just told me he doesn’t want to die. Terrifying situation here.”

Another Twitter user, John Hughes, said he “had to walk four miles in the heat across dirt tracks in smoke and ash with a five year old. No possessions”.

Nikita Bassi tweeted: “Arrived in Rhodes this morning to be told that wild fires have spread throughout and our hotel has been evacuated. No hotels anywhere for us to go and now looking for a flight home as news says the fires are getting worse around Greece.

“600/700 people from the evacuated hotels are coming to this one hotel and are having to sleep in the lobby and outside on the sun beds. This is honestly crazy. I can’t believe this is happening”.

Becky Mulligan, a British tourist on Rhodes, told the BBC that she was evacuated from her hotel with her sister and daughter, but was now stuck on a beach alongside hundreds of others.

“There’s just a small shack here and there’s so many of us,” she said. “There’s children, it’s the middle of the day, we are just stuck here with no help, it’s disgusting.”

Another tourist, Simon Wheatley told the broadcaster that his hotel had initially said the situation was “normal and there was no need to worry”.

His hotel was subsequently evacuated. “We saw that a beach bar that we were at just the day before had burnt down. The smoke was so bad. We had to leave two bags of luggage”, he said.

Holidaymaker James Hall told Sky News: “It was quite a bit of madness this morning. We noticed smoke and ash coming down and we got the government text, pretty much telling us to evacuate.

“And we walked south, as far as we could… We dragged our suitcases for two hours in the 40-degree heat.”

He said that he was worried he would miss his plane home, adding: “Honestly it was bizarre, if you are in a wheelchair or on crutches, the chances of you getting out in a timely manner was almost nil.

“We got instruction to go to the beach but we decided to keep walking. The sheer volume of smoke I don’t imagine it’s particularly safe right now.”

Jet2, a budget airline that flies multiple daily flights from the UK to Rhodes during the summer, told The Independent that it was working to support tourists on the ground.

“We are aware of the fast-moving situation in Rhodes, and our in-resort teams are working to comply with the guidance of local authorities”, a spokesperson said.

“The health, safety and well-being of our customers will always be our number one priority and we ask any customers in affected areas to follow the advice of the local authorities, or their hoteliers who will be acting under the advice of the authorities.”

A spokesperson for travel company Tui, which organises package holidays to Rhodes, told The Independent that they are “aware of wildfires in the south of Rhodes and are monitoring the situation closely.

“A number of hotels have been impacted and our resort teams are working with the local authorities and following their advice to relocate impacted customers”, added the spokesperson

“Our main priority is always the safety of our customers and we will proactively be in touch with anyone due to travel who’s holiday is affected”.

Fire Service spokesperson Yannis Artopios added that more than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were operating on the ground, assisted by three planes and five helicopters.

The force includes 31 firefighters from Slovakia, with five fire engines.

“The situation in Rhodes is serious and extremely difficult. Due to the strong wind and quickly changing direction of the fire, firefighters had to withdraw and move,” Slovak Fire and Rescue Services said on Facebook.

The main front of the fire is a triangle, with two of its points near the sea and one in the mountains. On maps, each side of the triangle appears more than six miles long.

Three coast guard vessels, plus one from the army, were evacuating people from two beaches. Twenty private boats were also assisting, and the Greek navy was sending a vessel.

The blaze in Rhodes is the most fearsome of several blazes ongoing around Greece.

The fire northwest of Athens and one near Sparta were subsiding, said Mr Artopios, although weather conditions, including temperatures set to reach 45C on Sunday and low humidity, mean there is a risk more wildfires might break out.

The Fire Service has designated almost the whole eastern part of the mainland, plus the islands of Evia and Rhodes, as well as large swathes of the southwest, as category five, the highest for the risk of fire outbreaks on Sunday.

There will be a brief respite in the heatwave on Monday, but it will resume on Tuesday and could last until at least Friday, meteorologists have said.

Firefighting forces from eight EU countries are either operating or due to arrive soon, Mr Artopios said.

Israel, Jordan and Turkey have also sent reinforcements, mostly aerial equipment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Tourists Flee Wildfires on Greek Island of Rhodes

Tourists line up at check-in counters as they wait for departing planes at the airport, after being evacuated following a wildfire on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou

By Fedja Grulovic

RHODES, Greece (Reuters) -Thousands of tourists and residents fleeing wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes took refuge in schools and shelters on Sunday, with many evacuated on private boats as flames threatened resorts and coastal villages.

Thousands spent the night on beaches and streets during what Greece said was its biggest safe transport of residents and tourists in emergency conditions.

Some 19,000 people were moved from homes and hotels overnight as fires burning since Wednesday gathered pace, tearing through forests until the flames reached coastal resorts on the island's south-eastern coast.

Some holidaymakers said they walked for miles in scorching heat to reach safety. The fires left trees black and skeletal. Dead animals lay in the road near burnt-out cars.

Rhodes is a hugely popular holiday destination, particularly with visitors from Britain.

Tour operators Jet2, TUI and Correndon cancelled flights leaving for Rhodes, which lies southeast of mainland Greece and is famous for its beaches and historic sites.

"The smoke was coming. So we all set off on foot. I walked 12 miles (19 km) in this heat yesterday. It took me four hours," said British tourist Chris Freestone.

He spoke from a sports hall alongside evacuees lying on mattresses in the island's principal city, Rhodes Town, which was unaffected by the fires further south.

TUI said its teams were doing everything they could to support customers and had sent in additional staff in what it called "a difficult and evolving situation."

Another holidaymaker, Fay Mortimer from Cheshire in northern England, said the experience had been terrifying.

"I've never been so scared in my entire life," she said.

The Greek transport ministry said TUI and Jet2, which handle the bulk of tourism to Rhodes, planned 14 scheduled flights from Rhodes airport, transferring about 2,700 passengers until 0300 am local time (2400 GMT).

Shane and Charlie Murphy-Jones had been on Rhodes for a wedding when they received an alert to evacuate their rented villa on Saturday night. "We went from paradise to hell and it was crazy," Shane Murphy-Jones said after arriving at Gatwick airport in London late Sunday.

TEMPERATURE SPIKE STOKES FLAMES

Fires are common in Greece but climate change has led to more extreme heat waves across southern Europe and many parts of the world.

Temperatures over the past week have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many parts of Greece. In addition to Rhodes, emergency services were dealing with fires on the island of Evia, east of Athens and Aigio, southwest of Athens, and on the island of Corfu where authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of a number of small settlements.

The fire on Corfu, an island which lies west of Greece, was burning on a large front. Boats in the area had been dispatched to evacuate residents by sea, a government official said.

A fire brigade official said the wildfires on Rhodes have affected 10% of hotels in the central and southeast parts of the island. The north and western parts were not affected. The government official who spoke of Corfu said the fires on Rhodes were largely contained.

Coastguard vessels and private boats carried more than 3,000 tourists from beaches on Saturday. Many people fled hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. Crowds gathered in streets under a red sky while smoke hung over deserted shorelines.

Pictures and videos posted by tourists on social media showed local residents using their own cars or bundling tourists into trucks and pick-ups to take them to safety.

In Lindos, famed for an acropolis on a massive rock within medieval walls, a blaze charred the hillside and buildings.

Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes, told Mega television on Sunday that between 4,000 and 5,000 people were in temporary accommodation.

Evacuees were taken to conference centres and school buildings, where they were given food, water and medical assistance, authorities said.

LOCAL GENEROSITY

British, Dutch, French and German citizens were among the tourists on Rhodes, which one hotelier said can receive 150,000 visitors at a time in peak season. The resident population of the island is around 125,000.

One British tourist thanked locals for their generosity, in an interview with Greek television, saying shops had refused payment for water and food and small boats had taken women and children to safety first, before returning for the men.

As crowds filled Rhodes airport, the Greek foreign ministry said it was setting up a helpdesk for people who had lost travel documents.

German travel association DRV said around 20,000 German tourists were on the island, but only a small proportion were affected by the evacuations.

More than 250 firefighters, assisted by 18 aircraft, set up firebreaks to shield a dense forest and more residential areas.

Nevertheless, some tourists were still arriving.

Pawel Kozlowski, from Warsaw, landed on Sunday afternoon and drove through Kiotari. "There are burnt cars, electrical lines are on the ground, we saw a broken electricity pole, still smoking. (It) looks like a war zone," he said.

(Reporting by Fedja Gruolvic in Rhodes, Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou in Athens; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Hollie Adams in London, Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt, Andi Kranz in Cologne, Mathieu Rosemain in Paris and Justyna Pawkak in Warsaw; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Barbara Lewis, Frances Kerry and Chris Reese)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters .

Photos You Should See - June 2024

Join the Conversation

Tags: Greece , environment , pollution , Europe

America 2024

Healthiest Communities

Your trusted source for in-depth analysis on the issues impacting your community’s well-being delivered right to your inbox.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024

The Best Cartoons on Donald Trump

June 21, 2024, at 11:59 a.m.

Joe Biden Behind The Scenes

June 7, 2024

SCOTUS Upholds Gun Ban for Abusers

Laura Mannweiler June 21, 2024

A New Look at Women in the Draft

Aneeta Mathur-Ashton June 21, 2024

TikTok Comes to the DNC

Olivier Knox June 21, 2024

SCOTUS Update: Abortion, Guns and Trump

Leading Indicators and Home Sales Dip

Tim Smart June 21, 2024

Is SCOTUS On a Path to Irrelevance?

Lauren Camera June 20, 2024

Photos: Alberto Lashes Mexico and Texas

June 20, 2024

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

British tourists leap into sea after huge fire engulfs wooden boat

Share this with

A group of terrified tourists were forced to jump overboard to escape a wooden ship after it burst into flames.

British holidaymakers were among 82 passengers who fled for their lives when the boat caught fire 300 metres from land off the Greek island of Rhodes on Thursday.

Families and young children plunged into the sea after the inferno rapidly ripped through an entire deck within minutes. 

Shocking pictures showed enormous flames engulfing the entire boat as thick black smoke poured into the sky.

Some escapees swam back to shore on Stegna beach in the town of Archangelos, while others piled into rescue boats that came to their aid.

Greek coast guard officials said everyone on board was eventually brought to safety before the ruins of the destroyed ship sank.

But witnesses say many were left ‘traumatised’ by the incident which saw a nine-year-old girl and 50-year-old woman suffer minor burn injuries, according to local reports .

The child and woman were taken to hospital but doctors say their condition isn’t serious.

Shaun Williams, an aircraft engineer from St Ives, Cornwall, said he was on a boat trip with his family while on holiday when the fire broke out. 

The 55-year-old said they were about half an hour into the trip when they stopped near Stegna beach, off the east coast of Rhodes, to go snorkelling. 

He told MailOnline : ‘We were on the top deck and the crew started shouting but we could not understand. We then saw the smoke.

‘The crew tried to fight the fire but the boat was made of wood and the fire grew quickly.’

Mr Williams said there was ‘a lot of panic’ with families with young children on board and the captain of the boat told everyone to ‘get in the sea’ after the crew handed out life jackets.

‘We all jumped in and I would say within a minute or two the place we had been standing was fully ablaze,’ he said.

A number of boats in the area came to their rescue and took the evacuated passengers back to shore, according to Mr Williams.

He added: ‘We had no injuries but my nine-year-old son was traumatised for some time.’

Emergency services, including firefighters, were called to the scene immediately after the fire broke out.

Stunned bystanders watched on in horror from the beach, with the huge smoke clouds out at sea clearly visible.

Greece’s Central Port Authority said it would take measures to deal with the marine pollution after the boat sank.

Greek authorities confirmed that fortunately no passengers were seriously hurt and were later transferred to their hotels by bus.

Last month, at least 78 people were killed after a boat capsized with 700 people on board .

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more.

Privacy Policy

Get us in your feed

Dozens of tourists are safely evacuated after their boat catches fire off Greek island of Rhodes

The Associated Press

June 29, 2023, 11:48 AM

• Share This:
• share on facebook
• share on threads
• share on linkedin
• share on email

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Dozens of tourists were safely evacuated from a boat that caught fire Thursday off the Greek resort island of Rhodes, authorities said.

The coast guard said all passengers were safely taken to land after the blaze broke out about 300 meters (1,000 feet) offshore. Officials were not immediately able to say how many people had been on board.

State-run ERT TV said the boat was carrying 82 people and no one was hurt. It said the fire broke out as the vessel was sailing off the area of Archangelos on the island’s eastern coast.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Related News

US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as a show of force against nuclear-armed North Korea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels target ship in the Gulf of Aden as the Eisenhower aircraft carrier heads home

STORY REMOVED: AF–Central African Republic-European Charged-1stLd-Writethru

Recommended.

'Some of the hottest conditions in years': Record-breaking highs enter parts of DC area

'You were everything': Kind words, rubber ducks serve as tributes to Md. parole officer killed in line of duty

'You would want to think twice about swimming': Advisory issued for northern Lake Anna in Virginia

Related categories:.

A conversation with member of Rhodes tourist boat crew enlisted in wildfire evacuations

With wildfires raging for a seventh day on the Greek island of Rhodes, the country undertook one of the largest evacuations of its kind in the country’s history. In total, 19,000 people were forced to flee the fires, both by land and sea. Some of the boats that assisted were privately owned, like the Glass Bottom Boats that local resident Kostas Metullari. He told The World’s Carol Hills that he didn’t know what the future held for the island. 

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

• Skip to main news content
• Skip to news search
• Skip to news navigation
• Skip to Channel 4 navigation

Catch up on TV bulletins

Rhodes fires: flights cancelled as thousands of tourists and residents evacuated on Greek island

It’s an island inferno.

As flames continue to lick coastal tourist areas after ripping through the mountainous interior of Rhodes, the Greek authorities say they’re dealing with the country’s biggest fire evacuation ever.

Nineteen thousand people have been rescued from villages and hotels – three thousand of those picked up in boats from the beaches where two days ago they were swimming and sunbathing.

Now the fire service is warning that things could get even worse with temperatures due to climb to 45 degrees in the next few days.

• Share on Facebook Share
• Share on Twitter Tweet
• Share on WhatsApp Send
• Share on WhatsApp Email
• Load more share options

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Wildfires in Greece prompt massive evacuations, leaving tourists in limbo

Rachel Treisman

July 24, 2023: This photograph shows fluttering Greek and European flags on a burnt building amid a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Genadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 24, 2023: This photograph shows fluttering Greek and European flags on a burnt building amid a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Genadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes.

Relentless wildfires in Greece are forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate from the islands of Rhodes and Corfu — and leaving many tourists stranded at airports and makeshift shelters.

The country is one of many in Europe that's been battling a heat wave since mid-July, with temperatures on some islands climbing above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Scores of wildfires have broken out across Greece in the past week, stoked by dry conditions and possibly arson, as some Corfu officials have claimed .

July 24, 2023: A fireman gestures and holds a cat and two rabbits after rescuing them from a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 24, 2023: A fireman gestures and holds a cat and two rabbits after rescuing them from a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes.

July 24, 2023: Burnt trees are seen next to a hotel near the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece. Socrates Baltagiannis/Picture Alliance via Getty Images hide caption

July 24, 2023: Burnt trees are seen next to a hotel near the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage in Rhodes and other parts of Greece.

Greek firefighters are still working to contain the blazes, with help from several other countries. But they face an uphill battle, as Greece's weather service says temperatures are likely to flare up again on Tuesday for several days.

"We are in the seventh day of the fire and it hasn't been controlled," Rhodes Deputy Mayor Konstantinos Taraslias told Greek state TV ERT as a fresh round of evacuations were ordered on Monday, Politico reports .

Corfu became the second island to launch major evacuations, after some 19,000 people fled Rhodes over the weekend in what Greek authorities called "the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country."

July 23, 2023: Evacuees take shelter at a sports hall in Venetokleio due to wildfires on Rhodes island, Greece. Damianidis Eleftherios/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

July 23, 2023: Evacuees take shelter at a sports hall in Venetokleio due to wildfires on Rhodes island, Greece.

July 24, 2023: A burnt beach bar can be seen near the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage on Rhodes and in other parts of Greece. Socrates Baltagiannis/Picture Alliance via Getty Images hide caption

July 24, 2023: A burnt beach bar can be seen near the village of Kiotari. Forest fires rage on Rhodes and in other parts of Greece.

Citing local police, The Associated Press reports that 16,000 people were evacuated from Rhodes by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. Six people were treated at a hospital for respiratory problems.

Thousands flee in Greece's largest-ever wildfire evacuation

Authorities said at least 2,400 visitors and locals were evacuated from Corfu overnight on Sunday as a precaution, according to AFP .

July 23, 2023: People watch the fires near the village of Malona in the Greek island of Rhodes. Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 23, 2023: People watch the fires near the village of Malona in the Greek island of Rhodes.

July 24, 2023: A deer runs with smoke in the background during a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 24, 2023: A deer runs with smoke in the background during a fire between the villages of Kiotari and Gennadi, on the Greek island of Rhodes.

Financial Times reporter Eleni Varvitsioti told Morning Edition from Athens that Greece is taking more precautionary measures in the wake of the traumatic 2018 Mati fire , which killed more than 100 people and left a lasting mark on the country.

Wildfires have become a nearly annual phenomenon in Greece, exacerbated by climate change.

Climate Change Destroyed A Way Of Life On The Once-Idyllic Greek Island Of Evia

"It's something that happens every year, to be honest, but this year it's simultaneously in so many different fronts," Varvitsioti said. "And that's why I think it's very hard for the Greek fire department to deal with it."

Tourists are scrambling to get home

The fires struck during peak tourist season in Greece. And while visitors flock to the islands from all over the world, Corfu and Rhodes are especially popular with people from the United Kingdom.

July 23, 2023: Tourists wait in the airport's departure hall as evacuations are underway due to wildfires, on the Greek island of Rhodes. Will Vassilopoulos/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 23, 2023: Tourists wait in the airport's departure hall as evacuations are underway due to wildfires, on the Greek island of Rhodes.

There are currently between 7,000 and 10,000 British tourists on Rhodes, U.K. Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell said on Monday .

Many of them are still trying to get out of the country, both in terms of getting to the airport and getting a flight home.

Some tourists say they had to walk for miles in the heat to reach safety, and local TV footage shows crowds of people walking beneath orange, smoke-filled skies and lying on mattresses in makeshift shelters.

Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates

Varvitsioti said tourists were moved to locations like schools and conference centers until they could fly out, which has also been a complicated endeavor. Many have spent one or even two nights sleeping in the hallways of Rhodes' international airport.

July 22, 2023: Smoke caused by a massive wildfire in the Rhodes island in Greece. Argiris Mantikos/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images hide caption

July 22, 2023: Smoke caused by a massive wildfire in the Rhodes island in Greece.

"Some of them did not even have their travel documents so there was a makeshift operation at the airport by the foreign ministry and embassies which provided travelers with the necessary documents so they could return home," she explained.

The British government said Sunday it had sent a rapid deployment team to Rhodes to support its citizens at the airport, by helping with emergency travel documents and working with travel operators and Greek authorities. Greece's foreign ministry has also set up a crisis management unit to facilitate the evacuation of foreign citizens.

Goats and Soda

Wet socks can make a difference: tips from readers on keeping cool without ac.

British airlines-slash-tour-operators, Jet2 and Tui, have canceled all incoming flights to Rhodes for the next several days and are using the empty planes to bring tourists home.

Greece's transportation ministry said 21 repatriation flights took place on Monday and more would follow.

The U.K. Foreign Ministry updated its travel advisory for Greece on Sunday, telling travelers headed for any affected areas to check with their travel operator or hotel first — but not warning against it.

Mitchell, the Foreign Office minister, told Times Radio that that's because only 10% of Rhodes is affected by the fires.

How Hollywood gets wildfires all wrong — much to the frustration of firefighters

He said he personally would not travel there at the moment, but deferred to "tourist companies and the holiday experts ... to give guidance on whether or not a family or individuals' holidays are going to be ruined by these events."

Meanwhile, U.S. officials are urging any Americans in the area to "follow instructions from local authorities and closely monitor the local media and emergency alerts."

July 19, 2023: Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in a forest near Nea Peramos, west of Athens. Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 19, 2023: Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in a forest near Nea Peramos, west of Athens.

Putting out the fires is a group effort

Crews are working to contain major blazes, not just on those islands but on Evia and the Peloponnesian peninsula as well.

They're getting help from the European Union and beyond.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Twitter that Greece has gotten three firefighting helicopters from Egypt , two planes and a helicopter from Turkey , four helicopters from Jordan , and two air tractors from Israel .

Why can't Canada just put the fires out? Here are 5 answers to key questions

France, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Malta are among the countries deploying not only equipment but hundreds of firefighters, collectively.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, tweeted on Sunday that EU firefighters were already on the ground.

"Greece is handling this difficult situation with professionalism, putting emphasis on safely evacuating thousands of tourists, and can always count on European solidarity," she wrote.

July 19, 2023: A cloud of smoke rises during a fire in Dervenochoria, north-west of Athens. Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

July 19, 2023: A cloud of smoke rises during a fire in Dervenochoria, north-west of Athens.

Environment

The climate change link to more and bigger wildfires.

Mitsotakis told parliament on Monday that "we are at war — completely focused on the fires," per the AP .

He said climate change "will make its presence ever more felt with greater natural disasters throughout the Mediterranean region," and urged people to remain "on constant alert" in the days and weeks ahead.

• evacuations

• ENVIRONMENT
• FOREIGN AFFAIRS
• REAL ESTATE
• WHAT’S ON
• LATEST NEWS
• GREEK EDITION

Fire on Rhodes tourist vessel

A fire broke out on Thursday on a Rhodes marine tourist vessel. All 82 people on board the ship were evacuated, and no injuries were reported. According to local media, many on board jumped over the side of the ship.

Elements of the local Hellenic Coast Guard, the Hellenic Fire Service, as well as nearby fishing vessels all contributed to putting out the fire. A helicopter also operated in the area.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

Blaze breaks out on Mount Pelion

Greek Fire Service team trains in US

Fire breaks out on Zakynthos

Fire breaks out in residential East Attica town

Fire breaks out in Corfu monument

Volunteer firefighters seek support to protect Mount Parnitha from wildfires

Demi Moore on Full Frontal Nudity With Margaret Qualley in ‘The Substance’: ‘A Very Vulnerable Experience’ but I Had a ‘Great Partner Who I Felt Very Safe With’

Demi Moore ‘s new film, the feminist body horror “ The Substance ,” sees her bare it all, with several scenes featuring full nudity. At the Cannes Film Festival press conference for the film on Monday, the 61-year-old actor discussed the “vulnerable experience.”

“Going into it, it was really spelled out — the level of vulnerability and rawness that was really required to tell the story,” Moore said. “And it was a very vulnerable experience and just required a lot of sensitivity and a lot of conversation about what we were trying to accomplish.”

Related Stories

Tony ratings have a long gap to clear, despite efforts to mimic larger shows, patrick dempsey joins 'dexter' prequel 'original sin', popular on variety.

“I had someone who was a great partner who I felt very safe with. We obviously were quite close  — naked — and we also got a lot of levity in those moments at how absurd those certain situations were,” she said. “But ultimately. it’s just about really directing your communication and mutual trust.”

As the film progresses, Moore becomes horribly disfigured thanks to the abuse her other half Qualley is inflicting on her. By the film’s last act, she quite resembles Anjelica Huston from the 1990 film “The Witches,” after she transforms into a humpback abomination.

Dennis Quaid also stars in the film as an “asshole,” as he described his character during the presser. The late Ray Liotta was meant to have the role before his passing in May 2022, and Quaid dedicated his performance to him.

“In my heart, I dedicated this role to Ray Liotta, who was set to play it,” Quaid said. “It was this week, two years ago that he passed, so I’d like to remember him. He was such an incredible actor.”

Cannes went wild for “The Substance” at its premiere on Sunday night, giving the film an 11-minute standing ovation , the longest of the fest so far.

In an interview with Variety , the French director discussed the film’s feminist themes, saying that body horror is “the perfect vehicle to express the violence all these women’s issues are about.”

With an undercurrent of #MeToo at this year’s festival as the movement grows in France, Fargeat hopes the film will shine even more light on the issue. “It’s a little stone in the huge wall we still have to build regarding this issue, and to be honest, I hope my film will also be one of the stones of that wall. That’s really what I intended to do with it.”

More from Variety

Jamie kellner, tv maverick who launched both fox and the wb, dies at 77, survey data: do consumers want gen ai in entertainment content, eddie murphy and jerry bruckheimer are already developing ‘beverly hills cop 5’: ‘we have a couple of stories in mind’, happy anniversary ‘suits’: what the cable drama’s streaming resurgence says about tv today (guest column), how content spending will grow in the post-peak tv era, ‘jelly’s last jam’ review: pasadena playhouse production brings a too-rarely revived classic jazz musical back to rousing life, more from our brands, donald trump proposes migrant ‘fight league’ during bonkers rally speech, lewis hamilton: the spanish grand prix usually tells you how good your car is, nba, nfl pros back dartmouth labor push as afl-cio files for seiu, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, jamie kellner, tv exec who launched fox and the wb, dead at 77, verify it's you, please log in.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

2 Are Killed in ‘Devastating’ New Mexico Wildfires

The state’s governor declared a regional state of emergency as thousands evacuated. Wind and rain could affect firefighting efforts.

By Derrick Bryson Taylor

Update: Dangerous flooding hits the New Mexico region ravaged by wildfires .

Two fast-moving wildfires in Southern New Mexico that have killed two people, prompted the evacuation of thousands of people and scorched more than 23,000 acres continued to burn out of control on Wednesday, officials said, and it was unclear when firefighters might gain some control.

The wildfires, named the South Fork and Salt fires, began earlier this week amid sweltering temperatures, and shifts in the weather on Wednesday may further complicate efforts to contain them. The South Fork fire, the larger of the two wildfires, has burned more than 16,000 acres and destroyed 1,400 structures, according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

Track Wildfires in the U.S.

See where wildfires are currently burning.

Two people have died, the New Mexico police said in a statement on Wednesday. Both bodies were found on Tuesday in or near the village of Ruidoso, N.M., which is between the two fires. One victim, whom the police identified as Patrick Pearson, 60, was found dead on the side of a road near a motel, with numerous burns, the statement said. The other victim, who was found in the driver’s seat of a burned vehicle on a road, was not immediately identified.

Temperatures reached the upper 80s and 90s in Southern New Mexico on Wednesday. There was a chance of showers and thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. But expected winds of 15 miles an hour or more might cause the fire to spread.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Lincoln County on Wednesday afternoon.

The warning prompted emergency management officials in Ruidoso to announce that they were “pulling all operations” from certain areas near the fire. “As the units and crews leave these areas,” the officials said on social media, “they will be evacuating anyone that is still in the area to higher ground.”

Firefighters in air tankers and helicopters dropped water and retardant on the flames, while firefighters on the ground constructed firelines. “Changing wind direction and potential for afternoon thunderstorms could create challenging conditions for firefighters in the air and on the ground,” Southwest Area Incident Management Team said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Red Cross said on Wednesday that more than 528 people had sought refuge at nine emergency shelters, and that “hundreds of meals and snacks” have been provided to them.

The organization said it was also “providing emotional and spiritual support, relief supplies and health services, such as replacing eyeglasses and medications,” and that more disaster workers were on the way, including “several tractor-trailers filled with relief supplies.”

At a news conference on Tuesday , Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico emphasized how dangerous the wildfires had become in a short time.

“We have two devastating, enormous fires,” she said. “When I say enormous, it means they are getting more and more complicated to address.”

The expected combination of rain and wind on Wednesday was both good news and bad news, Laura McCarthy, a New Mexico state forester, said at the same news conference. “It also means that this fire is going to be dynamic, at least until we see what rainfall amounts materialize,” she said, adding that the increasing winds might also put homes in danger.

Governor Lujan Grisham, who declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation because of the fires, called the situation “very serious,” adding that travel around the southern region of the state was not only discouraged but not possible because of road closings.

By Tuesday evening, the wildfires were presenting a clear threat to residents in Southern New Mexico, particularly the village of Ruidoso, which is between the two fires.

The larger wildfire, the South Fork fire, was discovered around 9 a.m. Monday in the Mescalero Apache tribal area. It grew rapidly, and was still zero percent contained on Wednesday, officials said.

The second wildfire, the Salt fire, was discovered a few miles away on Monday afternoon and has since burned more than 7,000 acres of tribal land in mostly inaccessible mountain terrain.

The state said that along with grass, the main trees burning in the fires were pines and junipers.

About 8,000 people had been evacuated from Ruidoso and the surrounding area by Tuesday evening, the New Mexico State Forestry Division said.

At the news conference, Governor Lujan Grisham was asked if she was aware of any people trapped or unaccounted for in the mass dash for safety.

“I don’t have an accurate number, I don’t know that anyone does,” she said. “Again, if you believe that you’ve got a loved one that is in jeopardy, we want to know about it, we want to do everything we can.”

Victor Mather , Aimee Ortiz and Yan Zhuang contributed reporting.

Derrick Bryson Taylor covers breaking and trending news and is based in London. More about Derrick Bryson Taylor

Body of American tourist found on Greek island as three others are missing in ‘history making’ heatwave: Updates

LIVE – Updated at 20:09

An American reported missing on a Greek island was found dead on the beach on Sunday, officials said, becoming the third visitor to die amid a “history making” heatwave across the Meditteranean.

The 55-year-old tourist, whose identity has not yet been released, vanished on the small island of Mathraki on June 11, when temperatures reached as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

“There is a common pattern − they all went for a hike amid high temperatures,” Petros Vassilakis, the police spokesman for the Southern Aegean, told Reuters.

It came as two French women, aged 64 and 73, have been missing since Friday on the island of Sikinos, while retired Los Angeles County deputy sheriff Albert Calibet has not been seen on Amorgos since Tuesday.

Have you been affected by this? Email [email protected]

• Five tourists dead and three missing in extreme heat
• Missing French tourist texted hotel owner to say she had fallen
• Temperatures to remain high this week

Temperatures to remain high – albeit down from extreme highs seen last week

Temperatures in many parts of Greece are expected to peak in the mid to high 30s this week, as searches continue for tourists who have gone missing while walking.

In Rhodes, the mercury will hit 36C this week, according to the Met Office.

While falling from the highs of 44C seen on Thursday, Crete is expected to see highs of 30C and 31C on Monday and Tuesday, before falling some later in the week.

Santorini, close to Sikinos, where rescuers are searching for two French women missing since Friday, will see temperatures hit close to 30C over the coming days.

Last sighting of American tourist on isolated island of Mathraki

The 55-year-old American was last seen on Tuesday at a tavern in Mathraki, west of Corfu Island, where he was staying with a friend, investigators told ABC News.

The friend called the police after he returned home Thursday and found the door of the house open, the lights on, and the air conditioning unit running, but there was no sign of the missing American or his identification and travel documents, according to investigators.

Mathraki has no police station or coast guard so ;aw enforcement officers from Corfu were called in to assist with the investigation.

A coroner was headed to the island Sunday to conduct a preliminary investigation, the president of Mathraki Island said.

The body is expected to be taken to nearby Corfu Island, where an autopsy will be performed, officials said.

American 55-year-old found dead on secluded Mathraki island

Mathraki, the secluded island to the north of Corfu, is where an American tourist was found dead on the beach.

It is only accessible by boat from Agios Stefanos and receives very few tourists, even during the high season.

There are no buses and almost no cars, on the island with boat and motorbike the most common transport modes used by locals.

Visitors were invited to explore the island on foot.

There is no camping on the island, with only a few rooms to let around the port.

The only village in Mathraki is Chorio, on the southern side of the island.

Mathraki Island has a 2 kilometres long ribbon of sandy beach, with intermittent rock shade, stretching the across the east side of the island.

On the west side, a walk takes in the Kato Mathraki church and leads to different and varied beaches.

Pictures show search for Dutch tourist, 74, found dead in ravine on Samos

Tourists often unaware of risks, says search chief.

On the island of Samos, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist disappeared while hiking on Sunday. Rescue teams on the tourist island in the eastern Aegean sea said the man vanished in the area of Marathokampos.

Their body was later found in a ravine, by a firefighter drone.

Dimitris Katatzis, head of the Samos rescue team, said tourists are unaware of the risks they face walking in the heat. They often “veer off track” to see sites and then get lost, he told local media, adding: “We saw a couple [of foreigners] walking a trail in 41C without hats. It defies logic.”

Greek PM considering cap on cruise ship numbers

In addition to record temperatures, Greece is expected to see record levels of tourism this year.

Overtourism is an issue in Greece, as it is in other holiday hotspots across Europe. The ombudsman report said that Santorini – a small island in the Aegean Sea with 15,550 residents – receives more than 5.5 million visitors annually, twice the number it hosted in 2012.

“In Santorini, even tourists complain about the great number of tourists,” it added.

On Friday, prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with Bloomberg that the government is also considering imposing a cap on the number of cruise ships visiting the most popular tourist islands.

Passengers stuck in plane on runway for three hours with no cooling in Athens heatwave

At Athens airport, passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha were forced to wait hours on board due to a technical problem last week. Passengers reportedly fainted due to a lack of air conditioning.

About 49 Thai Muay Thai team members returning from the world championships were onboard the Doha-bound Qatar Airways flight 204 on Monday in 39C, which was delayed at the Athens airport.

The captain refused to allow passengers to deboard the aircraft despite the air conditioning system being out of order, the passengers complained. They were kept on the plane for three hours with the flight doors closed, Thai newspaper Matichon reported.

The extreme temperature inside the flight caused nosebleeds in travellers, while some had to rely on oxygen masks.

Qatar Airways passengers stuck in plane for hours with no cooling in heatwave

Greek infrastructure struggling with extreme temperatures

Greece’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the extreme temperatures, reports my colleague Rich Booth .

The heat not only closed tourist attractions last week but schools across the country were forced to shut their doors just days before the start of the three-month-long break.

Greek schoolchildren are given three months off for summer. With temperatures rising, the holidays start in the middle of June and the next term starts again in the middle of September.

Despite schools being closed for lessons other students were forced to sit Panhellenic exams, the equivalent to A-levels, during the heatwave – many in poorly air-conditioned rooms. Parents in Athens and on the island of Thessaloniki were asked to bring fans when they dropped their children off for exams.

Workers in Athens were told to avoid activity between midday and 5pm and elderly people and those with chronic ailments were told to stay indoors.

Longest heat wave ‘in decades’ to hit more than 100million Americans

It is not just Greece contending with an unprecedented heatwave.

While the heatwave hitting Greece is the earliest in any year on record, large swathes of the United States could experience the longest heatwave seen for decades, according to the US National Weather Service.

Much of the Midwest, the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic will experience the hottest temperatures of the summer so far, the service said, with some areas due to find themselves in daily and monthly-record breaking heat.

Very high fire risk in Attica and Evia, Greek civil protection authority warns

Greece’s civil protection authority has warned of a very high risk of fires in the areas of Attica – which includes Athens – and Evia, both of which saw large-scale blazes during last year’s extreme heat.

Aerial surveillance patrols will be in force on Tuesday, with regional fire services put on partial alerts.

Vehicles will be banned from forested areas, among other measures, broadcaster ANT1 reported.

Two tourists die on same island within two days

On 5 June, another Dutch tourist, 67, collapsed and died of a heart attack while crossing the Mylon gorge in Rethymno, Crete as temperatures reached 40C.

The next day, on the same island, a 70-year-old French tourist died while walking on a deserted beach between Kouremenos and Zakros in Sitia. Paramedics managed to reach her but were unable to save her life.

Inside Greece’s tourist tragedies as Michael Mosley and four others die in 11 days

The One Show shares emotional tribute to Michael Mosley after death in Greece

Greece expected to see record tourism this year.

As well as record temperatures, Greece is expected to see record tourism this year. In a forecast published days before the heatwave, the National Bank of Greece said tourism is up 24 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period a year earlier. The analysts said a 20 per cent rise in international arrivals in spring suggests the country will face a longer season than expected.

On Thursday, the Greek ombudsman issued a separate report warning that the country needs to see urgent changes if it wants to see continued growth in tourism. It warned of the growing environmental risks and called for urgent reform.

It said the country needs to reduce rampant construction and protect water resources and coastal areas if it wants to maintain a healthy tourism industry across its mountainous mainland and beach-lined islands.

“Our country’s economy relies heavily on tourism which makes the need to manage it in a sustainable way even more urgent,” the report said.

Warning to tourists as four dead and more missing in Greece’s record early heatwave

Body of American tourist transferred to Corfu as Greek police explain ‘common pattern’ in deaths

The body of a 55-year-old American tourist has been transfered to Corfu from the tiny Greek island of Mathraki, making him the third tourist death in a week following an early June heatwave.

Police did not share the identity of the American, whose body was found near a beach on Mathraki on Sunday. On Monday they said was transferred to the island of Corfu where an autopsy will be carried out.

My colleague Rich Booth has the full report:

Body of US tourist transferred to Corfu as Greek police explain ‘common pattern’

‘Common pattern’ among fatalities and those missing in Greece, police say

Police have confirmed that a 55-year-old American is among five tourists found dead in recent days amid soaring temperatures.

“There is a common pattern – they all went for a hike amid high temperatures,” Petros Vassilakis, police spokesman for the Southern Aegean, told Reuters of the man’s death on the island of Mathraki.

Rescue teams were also searching for two French women, aged 73 and 64, on the island of Sikinos, and a 59-year-old US policeman on Amorgos.

“There are two search operations in progress on other islands. Police, firemen and volunteers have been deployed assisted by a drone and a rescue dog,” Mr Vassilakis told Reuters.

Latter part of summer expected to be hotter than average across Europe

Long-range seasonal forecasting by the EU’s Copernicus monitoring system suggests the latter part of the summer will be warmer than average across Europe and drier than is typical in the south.

As shown in the below map, Greece is believed to have a greater than 70 per cent chance of reaching unusually high temperatures.

Travel company adapting trips according to heat levels

Radek Nowak, active product manager for Intrepid Travel – an agency that specialises in walking holidays, said they have had to adapt trips according to the heat: “The soaring summer temperatures in Europe are certainly making it more challenging for people to do more active holidays.”

Intrepid no longer runs hiking trips in Spain and Portugal during the hottest months of July and August. Winter trips have been added instead in countries such as Greece and Croatia.

Radek added: “When groups are doing walks or hikes in the warm weather, we plan our days around the weather, heading out early in the morning before the heat reaches its peak.”

Michael Mosley’s legacy is going to live on, says fellow TV doctor as final interview airs

Dr Michael Mosley’s legacy will live on in our memories, fellow TV doctor Chris van Tulleken has said in a special programme featuring the last interview conducted by the late presenter, who died aged 67 after going missing on the Greek island of Symi.

“Michael’s death has moved so many of us,” Van Tulleken said, introducing the programme.

“His legacy is going to live on in our memories, every time we brush our teeth standing on one leg, we fast a little longer between meals, we build up our strength with squats or do any one of the other hundreds of tricks that he taught us.”

Common symptoms of heat exhaustion

Common symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Dizziness and confusion
• Loss of appetite and feeling sick
• Excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
• Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
• Fast breathing or pulse
• A high temperature of 38C or above
• Extreme thirst

On the frontline of climate change

Greece is on the frontline in the world’s battle against climate change, being hit by extreme heat and flooding in the space of just a few weeks last year.

It recorded its longest heatwave on record, lasting 16 days, in July 2023. The high temperatures fuelled wildfires across the country that saw locals and tourists evacuated.

The minister responsible for civil protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said the last week has posed a particular wildfire risk due to the combination of high temperatures and winds. “The early start of the heatwaves, combined with the dry winter, has led to a very difficult fire season,” he said.

A total of 44 agricultural fires were reported by the fire service on Thursday alone. None are believed to be serious at this point.

Travel insurance warning as holidaymakers told to be prepared this summer

The idea of something going wrong on holiday isn’t something many of us want to contemplate. But sometimes it can happen. A holiday is often among the biggest “one-off” expenses of the year and when you’re booking it’s important to make sure you’re adequately covered, should the worst happen:

Even healthiest people can face heatstroke complications, warns GP

Dr Mohit Mandiratta, resident GP on BBC Breakfast , has warned of the complications even the healthiest people can face in the heat. He told The Independent: “Heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and be very serious if not treated immediately.

“It can come on quickly, over minutes, or gradually over hours, so it’s important we all stay alert to symptoms.”

Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when your core body temperature reaches 40C or higher and must be treated immediately.

‘Distraught’ man searching for brother missing on Amorgos

Retired US police officer Eric Calibet disappeared while out on a solo hike on the island of Amorgos in the southeast of the country on Tuesday afternoon, reports Rich Booth .

Mr Calibet, 59, knew the area well having been visiting the island almost every year for about a decade.

He left for a four-hour hike, from Aegiali to Katapola around 7am.

“We’re almost on three days here,” his brother Oliver Calibet told Fox 11 TV in Los Angeles. “There’s no water … I’m very distraught.”

Two die from heatstroke in Cyprus after killer heatwave strikes Greece

Two people have died from heatstroke in Cyprus, while others are fighting for their life in hospital, health officials have said.

On Friday, an elderly person died from heatstroke after the weeklong heatwave with reportedly record temperatures for the month of June, with temperatures in excess of 40C.

An 84-year-old woman died a day after her admission to a hospital on Friday, said State Health Services Organisation spokesman Charalambos Charilaou. He said another three elderly patients were in serious condition.

Dutch tourist found dead on Greek island

A missing Dutch tourist was found dead early on Saturday on the eastern Greek island of Samos, local media reported – among the latest in a string of cases in which tourists on Greek islands have died or gone missing. Some, if not all, had set out on hikes in blistering hot temperatures.

The body of the 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found by a Fire Service drone lying face down in a ravine about 300 meters (330 yards) from the spot where he was last observed on Sunday, walking with some difficulty in the blistering heat.

Dutch tourist found dead, two Americans and two French tourists missing in Greece

Acropolis closes to visitors, as temperatures in Crete exceed 44C

Tourist sites in sweltering Athens and beyond were forced to close on Wednesday and Thursday. The Acropolis shut its doors to visitors after reports of people fainting while waiting in line.

Greek authorities issued a level three heat alert, sending automated warnings to phones that urged people to work from home and avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Chania, a city on the northwest coast of Crete recorded the highest temperature, with the mercury reaching 44.5C on Thursday. The area was also hit by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday morning.

Heatwave is Greece’s earliest on record

A favourite holiday destination for much of Europe, Greece has now been hit by the earliest heatwave on record. A heatwave is classed as temperatures exceeding 38C for at least three days.

Greek state TV meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos said the country has seen its earliest reported heatwave: “In the 20th century we never had a heatwave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June.”

One of missing French women sent text message to hotel owner

One of the two French women missing on the Greek island of Sikinos sent a picture to the owner of her hotel saying she had fallen and was not feeling well, the mayor has said.

But Greek authorities were unable to pinpoint the location of her mobile phone signal, only to conclude that she was in the south of the island.

The message, sent on Friday morning, was accompanied by a photo in which the woman appeared to be lying on the ground, French newspaper Sud Ouest reported.

Rescuers fear the missing tourists are trapped in an area of the remote island – with a population of around 400 people – which is not easily visible to rescuers or mapped out, mayor Vassilis Marakis told broadcaster ANT1.

“The day they went out for a hike it was extremely hot and today when we are working on locating them, strong winds are blowing,” Mr Marakis was quoted as saying: “Some of the paths on our island are mapped, but some others are not.

“We don’t even know if the two hikers went for a walk together or separately. However, we are continuously combing the area and firefighters from Syros, as well as volunteers, are participating in the investigations.”

Around a dozen people travelled from Santorini on Sunday to help with the search armed with two drones.

At least four tourists dead and three missing in Greece extreme heat

Greece is counting the cost of an early heatwave that has taken the lives of several tourists in a preview of the extreme weather it is likely to face this summer.

An urgent warning has been issued to anyone travelling to the country as four holidaymakers have died and more are missing amid record temperatures.

My colleague Rich Booth reports from Greece:

Good morning, we’ll be using this blog to bring you the latest updates on the searches under way in the Greek islands for several tourists missing in extreme heat.

Post comment

or continue as guest

More From Forbes

Sir ben ainslie's reshuffle led to big wins for british sail team.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Ben Ainslie, longtime driver and now CEO of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, before a practice ... [+] session ahead of the Emirates Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, UAE. 8th December 2023.

No one can control the wind, and no one knows that better than Ben Ainslie CBE, also known as Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie, one of the world’s most renowned sailing competitors.

The British four-time Olympic gold medalist has spent the last two seasons at the helm of Great Britain’s Emirates GBR team , first as the crew’s captain, or driver, to use competitive sailing terminology, and most recently as the organization’s CEO.

With a hard-fought win in Halifax, Canada, just three weeks ago and a total of three wins this season, Ainslie's team is gearing up for the thrilling New York Grand Prix this weekend. The event promises both excitement and challenges, just like any other team in the SailGP Circuit.

“New York is perhaps our (SailGP’s) Monaco,” Ainslie said, referring to the popular but difficult Formula 1 auto racing venue, also known as racing’s crown jewel.

“As a location, New York is iconic. But it’s a tricky circuit,” Ainslie added, during our Zoom interview this week. “There’s not a lot of space in New York Harbor, and whether the wind is blowing over Manhattan or Jersey City to wherever, it’s going to be disturbing and make for a pretty challenging race course.”

Midway through SailGP’s current and fourth season, the Emirates GBR made a personnel move that has begun to pay off. Ainslie said he opted to “step off the boat and replace himself at the driver position with fellow veteran Giles Scott.

Samsung Makes Surprise Free Offer For Galaxy S24 Ultra Buyers

Wwe smackdown results, winners and grades as drew mcintyre destroys cm punk, trump pac is running low on cash as legal expenses mount.

The 36-year-old Scott has also won his share of titles, including six sailing World Championships and two Olympic gold medals, at Rio De Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020, both in the Men’s Finn sailing competition.

Mills with Giles Scott, Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team driver after winning the final race on ... [+] Race Day 2 of the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, Canada. 2 June 2024.

“Giles is now steering the boat, and he’s a seriously talented sailor and has been involved with us in the America’s Cup. One of the top names in the sport.”

Ainslie mentioned that even with Scott’s track record and expertise in sailing, SailGP is a different animal. SailGP’s format and treacherous courses are their own trial by fire—or, perhaps, trial by water.

“The opportunity to train (for SailGP races) is very limited,” Ainslie said. “You might get one or two days on the water before each event.”

Ainslie added that during Scott's first few events after taking over the driver spot from him, there was “either no wind” on practice days or training days that got canceled because of conditions.

Yet, Scott drove the boat during Emirates GBR’s win in Halifax. Paired with Emirates GBR strategist and fellow Olympic gold medalist sailor Hannah Mills , the British team’s trajectory has only gone up and puts them in a great position for the next SailGP season.

“The way it goes is that there’s little preparation for these sailing events,” said Ainslie, “and keep in mind these are the best sailors in the world.”

SailGP teams have eight-member crews, with six on board during the race. The six on-board roles are driver, strategist, wing trimmer, flight controller and two grinders.

Part grit, part strategy, part hive mind

Looking at the standings of the SailGP’s first three seasons, it’s clear that Team Australia, led by Tom Slingsby, is the team to beat. Slingsby made his name in sailing or racing boats much smaller than SailGP’s 50-foot double hulls, 24m sail F50 foiling catamarans—winning an Olympic gold medal in the Men’s Laser class at the London Summer Games in 2012.

But the British Emirates team are also within the top tier. In the first two seasons of SailGP, the British team took 4th place overall, and finished in third place last season.

Related story: How Hannah Mills is rewriting rules in sailing

Ainslie says that racing in SailGP is very different from racing some of the smaller boats that both he and Slingsby have raced in Olympic circuits.

“It’s very much a team game. And that was a change for me, coming from a single competitor background.” He added that the skillset gained from racing Finn and Laser boats is not necessarily transferable to SailGP. That said, in sailing Ainslie said there is “an innate feel for the sport, the water and the waves, and that doesn't really change, whether you’re doing ten kilometers per hour or a hundred kilometers per hour.”

Meanwhile, communication in SailGP is key. It’s one thing Ainslie said that the Emirates GBR team does well, and helps keep them on their game.

“Communication is absolutely critical. We’re maneuvering on a really tight course with so many other boats, and the people on board have to know exactly what maneuver is coming up and when.”

All members of SailGP teams wear not only protective gear that looks customary and similar to other racing sports. They also wear helmets and communication systems that filter out wind and water noise, while allowing crew members to hear each other succinctly.

“We have our shorthand ways of communication. There’s probably a bit of British slang in our boat,” said Ainslie. “But, there’s definitely no time to have a debate or waffle. It’s got to be really clear.”

Each boat has a crew of five; the helmsmen steer the boat, while the flight controllers manage ride height to ensure the boat doesn’t touch down during maneuvers. Wing trimmers control the boat’s 24m wing sail, and two grinders that keep up hydraulic pressure to power adjustments to the sails for optimum speed.

Sir Ben Ainslie, in action as driver of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, during a practice ... [+] session in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 6 December 2023.

Ainslie also said that the Emirates GBR team has worked in the past with Great Britain’s Special Forces to optimize and tighten up communications techniques, on and off the water.

As SailGP moves toward its 2024-2025 season, the international racing league is looking to add teams and sponsor partners. SailGP announced this week that a Brazilian team will be added for Season 5, which starts in November.

Hannah Mills, a decorated Olympic gold medalist and an Emirates GBR strategist, explained that her team may have the ultimate sporting partner in Emirates.

“Having Emirates come on board with our team was massive. It gave us a lot of autonomy in how we run the team and gave us a competitive advantage,” Mills said. “Being part of the Emirates family is prestigious.”

The airline group based in the United Arab Emirates has already made a hugely successful foray into soccer , the world’s most popular sport, as title sponsor for mega clubs Real Madrid , AC Milan, and England’s Arsenal FC, among others.

“In the Middle East,” Mills added, “sailing has become a really big sport. And there is also a big push there to get women involved, and make it accessible to anyone who wants to go sailing.”

In addition to Emirates GBR’s win in Nova Scotia in early June, the team also scored back-to-back wins last September in Saint-Tropez, France, and Taranto, Italy, adding points to the current season standings.

Since mid-season, the British team has perhaps found its stride, with Scott driving the boat and Ainslie running the organization at large. Ainslie spoke humbly about their quick progress since the May SailGP race in the Bahamas, in which Emirates GBR placed 8th.

“It’s a team sport, and the course is tough for everyone.” But by adding Scott to the mix, Ainslie said, “We’ve had quite some turn-around.”

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.