Hundreds of people, mainly tourists, are being evacuated by sea from Agios Vasileios in central Greece after a fast-moving wildfire cut off the coastal town. The incident highlights the scale of a wider wildfire emergency across southern Europe, where heatwaves, dry vegetation and strong winds have created dangerous conditions.

More than 200 people have already left Agios Vasileios and another 100 were due to be taken away by boat, while firefighters also tackle fires near Xironomi and on several Greek islands. On Crete, fires have burned thousands of hectares and temporarily displaced 8,000 people; Spain has seen over 200,000 hectares burn this year, while a Portuguese fire near Valpaços has destroyed 15,000 hectares and injured five people.