Greece fire
Fresh wildfires have ignited in Greece, this time on the mainland, killing two people and threatening the industrial zone in Volos city; a new wave of evacuations has taken place; the Greek climate minister warned "nothing is over" and the battle will continue "throughout the summer".
Has your holiday been affected by wildfires? Or are you living abroad and struggling to cope with the heat?
Some newspapers 'lying about climate crisis' as UK faces 'unliveable conditions'
Three newspapers "every day pretend" we don't need to fight climate change while the UK faces unliveable conditions and unstoppable migration, a former Conservative environment secretary has warned.
Lord Deben warned "the world will not be a place where our children can live" if action is not taken immediately.
He said the UK will see "migration of a kind we've never seen before" as rising temperatures render other countries uninhabitable.
"We are faced with a real disaster," said Lord Deben, former chairman of parliament's Climate Change Committee.
"But there are several people around who frankly are telling lies about it. There are three newspapers which every day pretend that we don't have to fight climate change."
His comments follow a Met Office report which found last year's record-breaking heatwave could become the norm within 40 years and could be considered cool by the time today's children reach old age.
"There are individuals whose voices are being magnified instead of the sensible statement, which is this: the science tells us it's getting worse and worse. There is one way to fight it, which is to get down to net zero."
'Fighting climate change is fighting the cost of living crisis'
The government has not prepared the country for these temperatures, said Lord Deben.
Electricity prices should be untied from gas so that people see how cheap renewable energy has actually made electricity, he said.
"Fighting climate change is the same thing as fighting the cost of living crisis," said Lord Deben.
He called for VAT to be scrapped on charging electric cars and for heavy taxes on private planes and "big, polluting" cars.
'Migration the likes of which we've never seen before'
Once some countries become impossible to live in, people won't be moving to better themselves, warned Lord Deben, they "will be moving to live at all".
"And once you get those movements around the world, there is nothing you can do about it."
He added: "We have got to act now, not tomorrow,
In pictures: Farmer tries to save injured cows as fire burns in central Greece
These Reuters images show fires burning through a farm in Sesklo, central Greece, injuring cows, as farmer Apostolos Stilos tries to save them.
Elsewhere in the village, flames rose from a burning recycling plant.
Deadly fires erupt in mainland Greece
Wildfires supercharged by strong winds and temperatures over 40C have killed two people in central Greece.
Yesterday afternoon, it seemed like the nation might receive some much-needed respite, but within hours a new wave of evacuations was taking place as 61 fires erupted across the country.
The bodies of a woman and a 45-year-old shepherd were found, the fire brigade and state TV ERT said.
Dozens of firefighters and 15 fire engines battled flames threatening the industrial zone of the city of Volos, a regional capital.
Officials ordered the evacuation of several communities in the area of Magnesia, a coastal area north of Athens.
A separate wildfire flared near the city of Lamia, south of Volos, leading to more evacuations.
Fire brigade spokesperson Ioannis Artopios said yesterday:
"Nothing is over, the battle will continue throughout the summer. Today is the most difficult day of this summer."
The risk of fire remains "extreme" for several areas of Greece today, Mr Artopios said.
Climate crisis and civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said:
"Given the climate crisis, we will again have extreme
weather conditions that will again test our strength. Nothing is over, the battle will continue throughout the summer."
Analysis: The UK is simply not ready for what is coming
By Hannah Thomas-Peter, climate change and energy correspondent
By 2060, even in a scenario where carbon emissions start to level off, 2022 will be viewed as an average year, and by the end of the century might even be considered cool.
Although these are only predictions, they are striking, and worrying.
Because according to academics and campaigners, the UK simply is not ready for what is to come.
A glance at what happened last year gives you an idea of the scale of the difficulty.
Wildfires fuelled by dry vegetation destroyed nearly 20 properties on the edge of London. More over 65s died during the heat.
Train tracks buckled. Productivity dipped.
The government recognises the problem and has recently released an updated national adaptation programme.
But critics say the strategy still lacks ambition, scale and pace.
The independent Climate Change Committee has previously warned that there is "very limited evidence of the implementation of adaptation at the scale needed to fully prepare for climate risks facing the UK across cities, communities, infrastructure, economy and ecosystems".
There are those who argue that generally rising temperatures may well benefit the UK - fewer deaths from the cold, for example, or the potential to grow new crops.
But extreme heat is dangerous and disruptive, and one of the big problems for the UK is that unlike our neighbours in southern Europe, it is a relatively new challenge.
Dr Candice Howarth from the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, puts it like this:
"The UK needs to establish a more sensible 'culture of heat', learning from experiences of dealing with extreme heat across Europe and the globe, with effective communication, education and engagement on extreme heat and how people can prepare and respond.
"If the government fails to show more leadership on preparing for these extreme heat events, then we are likely to see a rise in heat-related deaths, wider impacts on workers' health and productivity, and increasing rates of overheating in UK homes and buildings that are ill-equipped to stay cool in the summer."
Creating a "culture of heat" in a place traditionally famous for its rain and mild temperatures will be a huge challenge, but it is one that must be met if we are to be prepared for the future scientists say is coming.
UK's 2022 weather - which saw 40C temperature record - to become 'typical'
Last year's multi record-breaking hot and dry weather will become "typical" in the UK in under 40 years, the Met Office has warned.
The remarkable weather of last year - when almost every month was hotter than average, wildfires torched homes and more people died in the summer - was considered extreme.
But by 2060 - potentially in the lifetime of anyone now under around 40 - that persistent hot weather will become simply average, the Met Office has said in its annual State of the UK Climate report.
And by the end of the century - when many young children today will still be alive - such heat will be regarded as cool weather.
That is assuming the world warms by around 2.4C, as is expected based on current energy policies.
Not only was 2022 the first year in the UK when heat first soared to 40C (104F), shattering the previous record by a significant 1.6C, it was also the warmest year on record. Both were made more likely by climate change.
These things "emphasise" that our climate is "changing now and it's changing fast", lead author Mike Kendon said.
Good morning
Welcome back to our live coverage of the battle with wildfires being fought in Europe and north Africa.
Before we resume updating you on the latest news, here's a recap of what's taking place across 10 countries, with the vast majority in the Mediterranean region.
Greece has been hit particularly hard, with over 20,000 evacuated in recent days and a record one megaton of carbon emissions between 1 and 25 July.
Italy's southern island of Sicily has seen wildfires kill three elderly people, its regional president said.
Flames in Croatia came within seven miles of Dubrovnik, detonating landmines left over from the 1990s war, according to local media.
In France, dozens of firefighters used aircraft to battle a fire that broke out close to Nice international airport
Algeria was fighting to contain forest fires along its coast that killed at least 34 people.
They spread into Tunisia, though authorities said yesterday they had been contained there.
Syria's port city of Latakia also suffered wildfires, with authorities using army helicopters to try to put them out.
Dozens of homes and a hospital in Turkey were evacuated after a wildfire raged through a forest near the Kemer resort in Antalya province.
Fires also swept across Portugal and Spain's Gran Canaria.
Eyewitness: Everyone must fight in Greece's war on wildfires
By Siobhan Robbins, Europe correspondent
In Rhodes, fires have triggered a state of emergency and now everyone must join the fight.
We watch a man in yellow as he runs across a blackened field towards a burning verge.
When he gets to the first clump of fire, he starts hitting it with his shovel, trying to beat out the flames.
Below him another cluster of flames crops up, so he rushes down and does the same.
Soon, little fires are breaking out all around him.
He knows he needs another plan, so he rushes back to get some water.
All he has is a crate of drinking bottles in his car so he carries them down the bank and starts emptying them over pockets of flames.
It's a desperate attempt to stop the fire but this is a desperate situation.
Yesterday, four villages had to be evacuated after a small fire grew into a blaze which covered the hillside, pumping out smoke so thick it blocked out the sun.
This time it could be his house in its path.
Hotels have burnt down, after all - with others only narrowly avoiding destruction.
As he runs back and forth, he tells me his name is Alex and that he's one of many locals keeping watch over the mountain, trying to spot new fires when they break out.
"We have to come when they're still small, then we have a chance to control them," he explains.
But as he says that, we hear a crack and the top of a tree suddenly bursts into flames.
"It's too big now," he says looking defeated.
Alex is out of options.
There's no way he can fight this alone.
But across the field we see a red truck driving our way.
The reinforcements have arrived, and two firemen quickly hose down the vegetation.
For now, Alex's home is safe.
Here on Rhodes and across many other parts of Greece fighting wildfires is a 24/7 job.
Hundreds of firefighters are supported by thousands of volunteers.
Some wear uniforms, others drive around in pick-up trucks with scarves over their faces to protect them from the smoke.
Their arsenal ranges from water-bombing helicopters and planes to garden hosepipes and barrels of water.
Greece has waged war on the wildfires and is determined to win.
Would you support 'super tax' on private jets?
The phrase "climate emergency" might be starting to lose its meaning but the current wildfires across Europe - as well as storms on the continent, and elsewhere in Asia - show the impacts of climate change on our day-to-day lives.
Scientists have said we would not be seeing such wild weather this summer without the influence of humans on the atmosphere.
Nevertheless, the issue - and how best to tackle it - is politically divisive.
In the past week alone, Rishi Sunak has hinted at cutting back on green-friendly policies, and Labour's leader has put pressure on London's mayor to water down his much-debated Ultra Low Emissions Zones (known as ULEZ).
'Unnecessary private flights are burning our planet'
Now, though, the Green Party in Scotland has suggested a radical idea in light of the wildfires on Rhodes and elsewhere impacting British travellers.
It says a £1,000 per person "super tax" on people arriving in Scotland by private jet could raise £75m - which it would spend on public transport and other green measures.
Scottish Green climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell said: "The current deadly heatwaves across Europe and wildfires on our doorstep show how urgently we need to act.
"Aviation is one of the biggest drivers of the crisis, yet hundreds of private jets are landing here in Scotland every single month.
"This isn’t people having an annual family holiday to Spain – it’s luxury, often half-empty, and completely unnecessary private flights which are fuelling the burning of our planet."
Do you agree? Or does the proposal go too far?
'Someone please help us' - 'petrified' children clung to mum as they slept under falling ash
By Brad Young, live reporter
A mum and her young children spent two nights sleeping on football fields under falling ash after a "petrifying" evacuation from their Rhodes holiday resort.
Nichola Mahal, 35, and her two children - Aryan, six, and Haleena, four - were dropped off by coaches at an overflowing hotel on Saturday - forcing them to lie on towels outside until Monday, she said.
Her holiday company, Jet2, made no contact with her during that time, according to Ms Mahal, while her children were struggling to cope.
"The day that the fire happened and they saw it behind they were screaming - they were absolutely petrified," said Ms Mahal.
"My daughter is only four and she was clinging onto me saying 'someone please help us, someone help us'."
The children's grandmother was also with them.
When the flames first reached her resort in Kiotari on Saturday, Ms Mahal said there was "no organisation whatsoever" in response.
Kind strangers gave the family a lift to another hotel, before they were evacuated again at 11pm from the advancing fire.
Military trucks drove them to a car park, before coaches took them to a third hotel at 3am; all the while, Ms Mahal had "no clue" where they were going.
"The lack of communication from the airlines and not doing anything until three days later, I just think is totally unacceptable," she said.
'Extraordinary events completely beyond our control'
Jet2 contacted Ms Mahal on Monday and arranged a hotel that night before a repatriation flight on Tuesday, she said.
A spokesperson for Jet2 said while "extraordinary events such as these are completely beyond our control", their "absolute focus" is on supporting those affected by wildfires.
The company added: "We have been contacting customers who are still on the island, as well as those who have returned home, and we are continuing to do so.
"We have a significantly increased presence on the island, with a hugely expanded team of colleagues in Rhodes who are present throughout resorts, evacuation centres, and at Rhodes Airport."
The spokesperson said Jet2 acted "immediately to suspend flights and holidays to Rhodes when we learned of these evacuations".
"Our colleagues are working tirelessly to communicate with, and look after, our customers and are highly visible in their red uniforms," Jet2's statement added.
Woman found dead in caravan after fire - reports
New wildfires broke out in mainland Greece today.
One elderly woman was found dead in a caravan after fires near the city of Volos, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT.
Villages near Volos, more than 180 miles north of Athens, were evacuated as a precaution as flames spread.
Other residents in the same area were warned to stay indoors because of the smoke.
In central Greece, further south, there was also a temporary evacuation order for some areas on the outskirts of the town of Lamia.
It's not just wildfires - hotter oceans are further evidence of worldwide change
By Tom Clarke, science and technology editor, in Corfu
While scientists will continue to debate the causal link between increasing global temperatures and fire, the current heat and fire crisis in Europe needs to be put into the context of other climate trends we're seeing locally, and globally.
Surface ocean temperatures in the Mediterranean were the highest on record earlier this month and are continuing to rise.
The trend is the same in the North Atlantic.
And, for that matter, averaged across the world's oceans.
All the extra heat in the oceans is, perhaps not surprisingly, thought to have played a role in the staggering loss of sea ice in the Antarctic.
The extent of sea ice is 1.6 million square kilometres lower than the previous low - a record set only last year.
The current coverage is more than 2.6 million square kilometres below average - an area of ice about the same size as Argentina.
These are global events driven, of course, by a global underlying trend: relentlessly increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
So the next time you hear someone say there is no connection between the wildfires and strange weather this summer and climate change, remember the evidence is not just the fires themselves.
Watch the video below for more from Tom Clarke on why the connection between climate change and the wildfires is not being exaggerated...
Global warming's fingerprints are all over the current crisis - there's no smoke without fire
By Tom Clarke, science and technology editor, in Corfu
After temporary evacuations and road closures here on Corfu, life seems to be getting back to a normal - if hotter - Mediterranean island rhythm.
Water-carrying aircraft are still working on smouldering areas of woodland to try to prevent blazes from reigniting as stronger gusts ripple in across the Ionian sea.
It's a very different picture elsewhere. With fires still very active on other Greek islands, Sardinia and southern Italy, Turkey and North Africa.
Just look at the map below of active fires, as of today...
Many commentators (often those who want to argue we shouldn't worry about human-induced climate change) have pointed out that wildfires and climate change are not necessarily linked.
And it's true, pre-industrial heatwaves were enough to create wildfire conditions.
There's also good evidence wildfire activity hasn't increased, perhaps even fallen, in line with increasing global temperatures.
But does that mean the fingerprints of global warming aren't all over the current situation?
In short, no.
Changes in land-use and better fire management practices are a major factor in fire trends in Europe.
And it's not disputed that heatwave conditions - like the ones we've seen occurring concurrently in Europe, North America and China in recent weeks - create favourable conditions for fires to occur.
For Greece at least, the current wildfire episode has smashed a 20-year record for July for the amount of carbon emissions generated by fires.
So far this month they have released a million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere - nearly double the 2007 July record.
EU wants to buy more planes to fight fires
The European Union (EU) intends to buy 12 planes to fight fires, according to its head of crisis management.
The planes would be the first the bloc would fully own and would improve its ability to combat blazes becoming more frequent because of climate change.
What does the EU already have?
The EU doubled its existing reserve fleet of firefighting aircraft in the past year, after devastating fires last summer in southern Europe exhausted its previous 13-craft capacity.
That fleet comprises 28 aircraft, which the EU pays to lease from EU countries' own fleets or the market, to form a bloc-wide buffer during the wildfire season.
That doubling of numbers is expected to cost €23m, the EU Commission said.
EU to team up with member nations to get more planes
The EU wants to purchase 12 planes itself.
But six member nations would also order 12 planes - adding a total of 24 to the continent's capability.
Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain would combine to pay for the other 12, according to Janez Lenarcic, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management.
"We could have the first planes delivered two years later. And the whole fleet would be there by the end of the decade," Mr Lenarcic told Reuters.
EU countries are responsible for responding to wildfires and request assistance from the EU reserve only when they need backup.
Where will the planes come from?
Manufacturer De Havilland Canada has agreed to re-launch production of the so-called "Canadair" water-bomber aircraft, if the EU orders are placed, Mr Lenarcic added.
What about other countries?
The EU can also offer emergency support to non-EU countries.
The bloc received 11 such requests in 2022 and has had four this year so far - including in Tunisia, where EU reserve planes are currently battling blazes.
Thomas Cook's latest update on trips to Rhodes
In a new update, Thomas Cook said all its customers who were in Rhodes are now back in the UK.
It added customers due to travel out to the island up until the 28th of July (Friday) will be offered a refund, or the chance to amend their booking.
A new update will come soon about holidays beyond that, it said.
"We expect to reach a decision for the coming days in the next 24 hours and would expect to resume normal operations very soon," the operator added.
It also praised the "resilience of the people of Rhodes and their generous hospitality to our customers and others stranded".
Fires in Gran Canaria started by 'brush cutter'
The fires on the island of Gran Canaria were triggered by sparks from a brush cutter, officials have said.
A worker was clearing land with two other people when the fires broke out, the island's president Antonio Morales told journalists today.
He added the workers tried to extinguish the flames before calling emergency services.
Nine water helicopters are battling blazes on the island, across an area of around 300 hectares, with Mr Morales saying it is hoped the fires will be under control later today.
Thermal images show Italy's high temperatures
Firefighters have continued to battle blazes across the south of Italy from Sicily to Calabria and Puglia.
A drone flyover with a thermal imaging camera shows the soaring ground temperatures in Puglia, Italy, as wildfires in the region were exacerbated by hot, dry weather and strong winds.
Palermo church destroyed in fire
These pictures, taken today, show the Santa Maria di Gesu church burnt out and charred after fires blazed on Sicily.
The church dates back to the 1400s.
'We are ready to try': Firefighter recounts last conversation with pilots killed in crash
A firefighter has revealed the final words of the men who were killed when the plane they were flying over the wildfires in Rhodes crashed.
Those on board were named this morning as Christos Moulas, 34, and co-pilot Pericles Stefanidis, 27.
The man, believed to be the final person they spoke to, told Greek broadcaster OPEN: "I still can't believe that three minutes ago I was talking to them and after exactly 10 minutes I learned that the plane had crashed.
"We had contact with them - they did not report any problems with the aircraft.
"They told us, 'We are ready to try. We go for a last supply, and we leave.'
"A few minutes after we spoke, we learned over the radio that the aircraft had crashed."
Local media reports Mr Moulas' wife is three months pregnant with his child.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "Today, we Greeks mourn the tragic loss of our pilots Christos Moulas and Pericles Stefanidis in Evia.
"They gave their lives saving lives, proving how risky their daily firefighting missions are.
"The state respectfully stands by the families of the two heroes. They are two children, two brothers of all of us."
The clean up in Rhodes gets under way
Workers in Kiotari, one of the worst-hit areas of Rhodes, have begun to restore the power supply in the region, after the fires raged through.
What's happening where? At least nine countries hit by wildfires - summary
At least nine countries across the Mediterranean have been hit by wildfires, as thousands of firefighters battle to extinguish blazes across the region.
At least 34 people have been killed in Algeria, while three have been killed in Italy's southern island of Sicily.
Temperatures topping 40C (104F) and parched ground have sparked fires in countries on both sides of the Mediterranean.
In Croatia, flames came within 12km (7.5 miles) of the medieval town of Dubrovnik late on Tuesday, with local media reporting landmines left over from the 1990s war of independence had been detonated by the fire.
Dozens of firefighters were also using aircraft to battle a wildfire that had broken out close to Nice international airport in southern France.
Here's our latest Sky News summary of the situation across the Med...
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