Heatwave crunching Greece next days

The Civil Protection agency has designated the two regions as Category 4, the second-highest level of danger, prompting an automatic ban on public access to forests and parks to prevent accidental ignitions.

The fire service, police, and military will conduct intensified aerial and ground patrols throughout the day. The warning comes after a difficult week that has seen firefighters battling major blazes across the country, including a destructive fire on the outskirts of Athens, another on the island of Chios, and a large, ongoing fire on Crete.

In the last 24 hours alone, the fire service responded to 47 forest and agricultural fires nationwide.

Officials are urging the public to be extremely cautious and to avoid any activity that could spark a blaze, such as using outdoor grills or discarding cigarettes.

With the country still in the grip of an early summer heatwave, the risk of new, fast-spreading fires remains exceptionally high.