Europe's heatwaves

Turkey's fourth-largest city threatened by forest fires

The forest fires that have plagued Turkey for weeks are now threatening the country's fourth-largest city, Bursa, writes AP.

During the night, fires in the mountainous areas around the city have spread quickly and colored the night sky red.

1,765 people have been evacuated from villages outside Bursa and 1,100 firefighters are battling the flames.

The highway between Bursa and the capital Ankara has been closed.

Unusually high temperatures, drought and strong winds have worsened the fires. On Saturday, the Turkish Meteorological Institute reported that a record-breaking 50.5 degrees Celsius was measured in the province of Sirnak. 

380 fires in Sicily - Jens fled in the middle of the night

Swedish Jens, 41, and his party had to quickly leave the holiday home they rented in Sicily on Saturday night.

After an excursion during the day, they drove back to the house and saw smoke rising from the hills near the house.

He tells Aftonbladet that they took turns keeping watch during the night. Gradually the wind picked up and ash began to rain.

– Then the fire started to flow down the mountainside, he says.

The group decided to leave the house and have checked into a hotel in Palermo.

According to Palermo Today, 380 fires have been registered in Sicily in recent days.

Currently, large forest fires are raging in several countries around the Mediterranean, including Albania, Turkey and Greece.

Beehives and olive trees in flames: "Monasteries in immediate danger"

The Czech Republic and Italy are sending planes and firefighters to Greece to assist with the large forest fires, writes AFP.

Fires are raging in the Peloponnese west of Athens and on the islands of Evia and Kythera.

“Today is expected to be a difficult day with a very high fire risk almost everywhere,” says rescue service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.

On Kythera, which is a popular island with tourists, evacuation text messages have gone out.

“Houses, beehives, olive trees have burned. A monastery is in immediate danger right now,” says deputy mayor Giorgos Komninos.