Greece orders evacuations near Athens as wildfires rage – Europe live | Greece

Greek officials advise staying in with windows shut due to fires near Athens

Helena Smith

Yesterday, Greek authorities warned people to stay indoors with their “windows closed” as more than 400 firefighters battled to contain blazes on the outskirts of Athens that were forcing the evacuation of entire communities, including at the historic site of Marathon.

Health officials urged people to limit their movements and stay inside, saying the thick smoke had seriously affected the quality of the air across the Attic basin.

By 4pm the skies above the Greek parliament in central Syntagma Square had turned a yellowish brown as ash clouds pushed by the winds travelled southward.

At least eight people were taken to hospital with respiratory problems.

The prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, cut short his holiday and returned to Athens on Sunday evening to deal with the crisis.

Unprecedented temperatures – June and July were the hottest on record – after the warmest winter ever have turned Greece’s terrain into a tinderbox, environmentalists have said.

Read the full story here.

A wildfire raged closer to Athens today, forcing evacuations of at least 11 towns and villages, Reuters reported citing Greek authorities.

The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon, and by this morning was burning in several areas, including the ancient town of Marathon and Mount Penteli north of Athens.

At least three hospitals had been evacuated.

Good morning and welcome back to the blog.

Send thoughts and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.