Greece fires – live: Tourists in Rhodes and Corfu evacuated as Croatia also battles wildfires

Croatia is battling wildfires as thousands of tourists have fled Rhodes and Corfu amid blazes ravaging Greece. A firefighting plane is dropping water on a mountainside in Župa Dubrovačka in Croatia after a wildfire broke out last night. Almost 100 firefighters are on the scene and several vehicles, according to reports. It comes as 20,000 people had to leave homes and hotels in Rhodes over the weekend as the inferno that began a week ago spread, while over 2,000 holidaymakers returned home by plane on Monday. After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, civil protection authorities warned of “extreme risk” of wildfires on the island of Crete, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Monday the country was “at war” and said on Tuesday the next days would be difficult, with conditions possibly improving after Thursday. Read More Are Greece wildfires caused by climate change? Wildfires: Is it safe to travel to Greece right now? Britons tell of ‘terrifying’ and ‘traumatic’ experiences amid Rhodes wildfires Firefighters killed in Greece plane crash as yet more record temperatures are forecast