Firefighters are battling several wildfires in Greece as a scorching heatwave wreaks havoc across southern Europe. In the past 24 hours alone, more than 152 new fires have broken out across Greece - and thousands of people have been evacuated. Around 4,850 firefighters are engaged in a multi-front battle to contain the flames.

Greece on Wednesday battled to contain more than 20 wildfires including one menacing its third-largest city Patras as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe.

Greece was hit on Wednesday by more than twenty fires fanned by violent gusts of wind, stated Vassilis Vathrakoyannis, spokesman for the Greek fire brigade. “It is certainly the most difficult 24 hours of the fire season,