Heatwave and extreme fire danger on Saturday

Temperatures in several areas of the country exceeded 40 degrees Celsius on Friday 28 August 2026, according to a report from Ta Nea, which conveyed meteorologist Tsatrafyllia’s assessment of a “heat marathon” in the coming days. On mainland Greece, temperatures ranged between 37 and 39 degrees, while winds in the Aegean reached up to 8 Beaufort, according to the same source. The combination of high temperatures and strong winds led to the issuance of an extreme fire danger alert for Crete, Rhodes and Karpathos, islands where the prolonged summer drought has left vegetation particularly vulnerable to ignition. Ta Nea’s warning of a “heat marathon” refers to conditions that are not expected to subside soon, with the heat burden continuing across much of the country.

Fire danger remained elevated on Saturday 29 August 2026. According to SKAI, several areas of the country were placed in category 5, that is, under extreme danger conditions, while Attica was classified in the immediately lower category 4. The report mentioned that strong northerly winds were expected with an intensity of 8 to 9 Beaufort, that is, almost gale to gale force, conditions that significantly hinder approach and extinguishing in the event of fire, as flames can spread extremely rapidly. The heat and strong winds come after an unstable eight-day period with rising temperatures across the country, as recorded by TodayGrid in the eight-day report on the heatwave, an development that shows that the phenomenon does not affect just a single day but a prolonged period of pressure on firefighting forces.

In Rhodes, the local newspaper Dimokratiki reported that the island was placed on alert status for Saturday 29 August 2026 due to extreme fire danger, with full readiness of Fire Service vehicles and equipment, to ensure immediate intervention in the event of an outbreak. Enhanced surveillance is part of a broader framework of heightened alertness maintained by the Fire Service in recent weeks at national level, as recorded by TodayGrid in a report on 24-hour surveillance with 110 drones throughout the country. The combination of heatwave, prolonged drought and strong winds is considered one of the most dangerous factors for rapid fire spread, especially in forested and semi-mountainous areas with dense vegetation, where access by fire service vehicles is often more difficult.

Authorities are calling on citizens to exercise increased caution, avoiding outdoor work that can cause sparks, such as the use of machinery or open-air fires, and to immediately inform the Fire Service at 199 in case of detection of smoke or fire. SKAI did not clarify in its report a complete list of all areas in category 5 beyond those explicitly mentioned, while islands such as Rhodes have already activated local civil protection plans, with personnel and resources on standby from early morning. The situation is expected to remain on alert at least for the remainder of the weekend, with competent services monitoring closely the wind fluctuations in the Aegean and updating the danger map on a daily basis, while new information on weather developments is expected to be released to the public in the coming days.