As Greece battles multiple summer blazes, the government boosts firefighting units, drone surveillance, and foreign aid—but aging equipment and staff shortages remain pressing challenges

A fierce blaze on the Greek island of Zakynthos has destroyed forest and farmland, damaged homes and tourist lodgings, and forced evacuations as strong winds hamper firefighting efforts

The shallow quake was centred northwest of Karyes, the administrative seat of Mount Athos; no damage or injuries have been reported

Greece faces a dangerous mix of high temperatures, persistent drought, and powerful northeasterly winds up to 7 Beaufort, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread rapidly, especially across eastern mainland and the Aegean islands

Authorities place fire services on alert and urge residents to avoid activities that could spark blazes as hot, dry conditions persist

In a rare move for Greece, firefighters in Zakynthos lit a controlled blaze to stop an advancing wildfire from reaching homes — a backfire method more common in the United States than in southern Europe

Metro, tram, bus, and trolley services in Athens will operate on altered schedules over the August 15 holiday, with reduced frequency due to the summer period

Fierce blazes across the Greek mainland and Greek islands like Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Chios, fanned by strong winds, have destroyed homes, displaced residents, and triggered urgent evacuation alerts

Meteorological data shows August 2025 poses an exceptionally high fire danger for Attica, the Peloponnese, and Western Greece, with elevated risks continuing into September and October

The Patras industrial park was particularly affected, as were highways leading into and out of the western Greece port city

Athens on Tuesday afternoon requested four water-dropping aircraft from the EU's civil defense mechanism as a total of 106 blazes of various intensity and scope were reported on the day

High inflation is hitting Greek households hard, leading to sluggish summer sales and preventing one in two Greeks from taking a vacation this year

Parts of western Greece face temperatures up to 42°C, while eastern regions contend with strong Aegean winds reaching 8 Beaufort in the coming days

The Ionis is sailing to Lavrio on one engine after a blackout left it temporarily adrift; tugboats and the coast guard are on standby

The annual Perseids reach their peak on August 12, lighting up the skies with bright meteors visible across the Northern Hemisphere

The free MyStreet app lets citizens file anonymous or named reports of unauthorized public space use directly to local authorities

A woman was lightly injured after being bitten by a sea turtle while swimming in shallow waters at Marathi beach, a family-friendly spot in Chania, Crete

Over 2,000 people evacuated in northwestern Turkey as massive fires force closures and send smoke across the Aegean to parts of central and northern Greece

Over €9 million will fund desalination and water security projects across 61 island municipalities, aiming to improve supply and quality in Greece’s most remote communities

Fires on Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and mainland Greece trigger urgent evacuation orders as strong winds hamper firefighting efforts