Europe’s heat wave attacks Greece

Wildfires approached Athens in Greece on Wednesday as similar blazes in Portugal, Spain, and France eased with cooling temperatures. At least two people have been hospitalized in the Greek capital, and hundreds have been evacuated. Over a thousand people were evacuated in Spain earlier this week, and over a thousand people have died of heat-related complications in Portugal.

Why are the wildfires in Greece? Greece has largely avoided the heatwave plaguing much of the rest of Europe. But fire officials say that the summer’s hot, dry conditions and long-term increases in temperatures have raised the risk of wildfires in the country. Fires in nearby Italy have also been assisted by dry vegetation due to long-lasting droughts.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s article for WORLD on the direction the energy sector is taking in response to climate change concerns.