Is it safe to visit Greece? Extreme weather leads to safety warnings

Tourists travelling to Greece have been issued with warnings by the country’s authorities after a number of holiday hotspots were affected by extreme weather.

A number of popular areas have faced thunderstorms and strong winds since Sunday, and authorities have warned tourists to stay away from coastal areas because of the risk of high winds and waves. They said visitors should stay alert and take necessary precautions when needed.

The country’s meteorological service has said the bad weather should ease by Tuesday morning after wildfires ravaged parts of the Peloponnese region, an area south of Athens.

The fire, which began on Sunday and has been spread by strong winds, has claimed the lives of two locals reported missing at the weekend. Six villages have been evacuated, and around 350 firefighters have been working to try to stop the fire from spreading.

The UK’s Foreign Office said there is a high risk of wildfires in the country between April to October and that “the situation can change quickly”. Greek authorities have said that the country has had over 4,500 wildfires this year.

The Foreign Office advises British tourists to “be cautious” if they find themselves in an area affected by wildfires, and to:

• Follow @112Greece for official updates
• Follow the guidance of the emergency services
• Call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
• Contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK

It also offers guidance on how tourists can register for English alerts from the country’s emergency communication service:

• iPhone: Settings > Notifications and enable the Emergency Alerts option at the bottom
• Android 11 and higher: Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts
• Samsung devices: Settings > Apps > Messages > Notifications > Emergency Notifications and enable the Emergency Alerts option