Greece fires - live: Jet2 and Tui scrap Rhodes flights as tourists fleeing island describe ‘hell on earth’
Jet2 and Tui have cancelled all flights to Rhodes as wildfires continue to tear through the Greek holiday destination for a sixth consecutive day.
The Jet2 planes were scheduled to depart from the East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted airports full of tourists bound for the Greek island. But the planes left emply and will instead be used to evacuate holidaymakers fleeing the blaze.
Fire crews are now in a race against time to stop the fires from spreading further with 21mph (34kph) winds forecast for tomorrow.
Thousands of tourists were forced to flee their hotels and images captured their dramatic evacuation off of beaches by a fleet of private boats while the fires raged in the background.
Becky Mulligan, a 29-year-old training manager from Leicester, was staying at the Princess Sun Hotel in the Kiotari resort on Rhodes’s southeast coast when she, her daughter, 5 and sister, 20 say they were forced to flee.
“I thought I was going to die. It was like hell on earth,” she told The Independent.
Key Points
Jet2 and Tui scrap flights to Greek island
Fleet of small boats rescue Rhodes tourists from beach
Rhodes wildfires spread to east coast from centre
Tourists describe hours-long walks to reach safety
‘It was like the end of the world’
15:15 , Martha Mchardy
Thousands of tourists and residents fleeing a wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes huddled in schools and shelters on Sunday, with many evacuated on private boats from beaches as flames menaced resorts and coastal villages.
Thousands spent the night on beaches and streets.
“It was literally like the end of the world,” British tourist Ian Murison told Sky News from a rescue boat he got after crowds filled buses in a chaotic evacuation from a beach.
Another British tourist, Amy Leyden, described the “terrifying” experience of being moved from two hotels with her 11-year-old daughter before being taken to a school.
“We were walking down the road at 2 o’clock in the morning and the fire was catching up with us,” she told Sky.
In pictures: Wildfires rage through Rhodes
15:05 , Martha Mchardy
The climate crisis is fuelling bigger and more erratic wildfires
14:53 , Louise Boyle, senior climate correspondent
Rhodes is the latest victim of extreme wildfires, prompted by conditions caused by the climate crisis, The Independent’s senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle, reports.
Around the world, larger, more intense fires are being fuelled by extreme heat and drought. An unrelenting heatwave has blanketed Greece, and much of southern Europe, for weeks.
June was the planet’s hottest month in human history, and July looks set to at least match that record.
Temperatures have entered uncharted territory this summer due to an emerging El Niño warming pattern and the ever-worsening climate crisis driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Tourists shelter in schools and stadiums as wildfires burn for 6th day in Rhodes
14:45 , Martha Mchardy
Tourists are taking refuge inside stadiums and schools as wildfires burn for the sixth day in a row in Rhodes.
Thousands of tourists were forced to flee their hotels and fire crews are now in a race against time to stop the fires from spreading further with 21mph (34kph) winds forecast for tomorrow.
British tourists have described being caught up in the “terrifying” ordeal, with the Foreign Office directing UK nationals towards a crisis management unit set up by the Greek authorities.
‘It didn’t feel real'
14:37 , Martha Mchardy
A tourist has described his fear at being in “imminent danger of being burned to death” as wildfires rage through Rhodes.
Ian Wakefield told Times Radio he spent the night in a school playground in Faliraki after being evacuated from his hotel in Pefki.
He said: “It didn’t really feel real – being in imminent danger of being burned to death.
“Between midnight and around 5am this morning we were going through an evacuation which was pretty chaotic.
“There were a lot of upset people and children who were understandably quite hysterical.
“It was all very confusing – the instructions from the hotel manager were unclear.
“You had to make your own choice in the end. I’ve had to leave quite a lot of luggage in the hotel.”
Rhodes evacuation ‘scariest moment in my entire life,’ says British tourist
14:31 , Martha Mchardy
A British tourist has described being evacuated from Rhodes as wildfires raged the “scariest moment in my entire life.”
Dan Jones, a sports teacher from Torquay, Devon, had to climb onto a fishing trawler with his sons on Saturday night, describing it as “the scariest moment in my entire life”, adding: “What brave boys.”
Smoke turns Rhodes sky grey and hazy as wildfires continue to rage
14:27 , Matt Mathers
A large wildfire burning on the Greek island of Rhodes for the fifth day has forced authorities to order an evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts, Oliver Browning reports.
In previous days, the wildfire was confined to the island’s mountainous centre, but aided by winds, very high temperatures and dry conditions, it spread toward the coast on the island’s central-eastern side on Saturday 22 July.
More than 3,500 locals and holidaymakers have been evacuated by land and sea to safety, with more evacuations expected from three villages on Sunday.
No injuries have been reported, according to Greek authorities. Watch the clip here:
Smoke turns sky grey and hazy as wildfires continue to rage in Greece
Thomas Cook cancels all holidays to areas in Rhodes affected by wildfires
14:24 , Martha Mchardy
Thomas Cook has cancelled all holidays to areas of Rhodes most affected by the wildfire until July 31.
The travel agency announced it had been in touch will all customers due to travel to Kiotari and Lardos – the areas of the Greek island at most risk – to arrange “swift refunds”.
It has also offered full refunds to customers due to depart for other parts of the island on Sunday and Monday who wish to cancel.
Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate
13:45 , Martha Mchardy
Thousands of holidaymakers and residents have been forced to evacuate their homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes, as wildfires raged for a fifth day.
Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats evacuated at least 2,000 people from beaches on the south of the island, and in total an estimated 30,000 people have been moved to safety, local officials said.
Nick Ferris and Holly Bancroft report:
Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate
Britons urged to check with travel operator before heading for Rhodes
13:03 , Matt Mathers
Britons going to Rhodes have been advised to check with their travel operator before setting off amid the wildfires.
“If you are planning to travel to Rhodes, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires,” the Foreign Office said in guidance issued on 23 July.
Thousands of tourists were stranded on the Greek island as wildfires burned for a sixth consecutive day.
UK airlines still selling tickets to Rhodes despite wildfire inferno
12:24 , Matt Mathers
UK airlines are continuing to sell flights for immediate departure from the UK to Rhodes despite the wildfires that have seen thousands of tourists evacuated from the island, Simon Calder reports.
Holiday firms Jet2, the UK’s biggest tour operator, and Tui both announced on Sunday they would be cancelling all flights and holidays to Rhodes and offering refunds because of the fires, which have been raging on the Greek island for six days.
But other airlines are continuing to offer seats on flights to Rhodes for a departure on Sunday. Ryanair has one seat left for sale on the 3.40pm flight from London Stansted for £394 one way, with a Manchester-Rhodes flight available at 3.30pm for £214.
Full story:
UK airlines still selling tickets to Rhodes despite wildfire inferno
Watch: Ice and water flows through streets of Italian town after freak hail storm
11:40 , Matt Mathers
Footage shows ice and water flowing through the streets of an Italian town after violent thunderstorms in the Milan area on Friday 21 July, Oliver Browning and Billal Rahman report.
At least 110 people were injured in the hailstorm, which struck a region of northern Italy and caused water to run through the streets of Seregno.
Hailstones of up to 10 cm in diameter pelted the area of Veneto, according to regional president Luca Zaia.
Watch the clip here:
Ice and water flows through streets of Italian town after freak hail storm
Watch: Tourists evacuated by boat from Rhodes as wildfire rages on Greek island
10:50 , Matt Mathers
A large wildfire burning on the Greek island of Rhodes has forced authorities to order an evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts, Oliver Browning reports.
About 2,000 people, including tourists, were evacuated by sea, fire department spokesman Yannis Artopios said Saturday evening.
He added that all visitors had been evacuated without incident.
Three coast guard vessels, an army lifeboat, a special forces inflatable craft and 30 private sailboats helped with the evacuation.
Footage shows people waiting on a beach with wildfires in the background shortly after midnight, while the flames could also be seen raging in videos shared from the boat.
Watch footage of the evacuation effort below:
Tourists evacuated by boat from Rhodes as wildfire rages on Greek island
Tui scraps flights to Rhodes
10:44 , Matt Mathers
Travel company Tui has scrapped flights to Rhodes for the next two to three days amid the wildfires.
The company said the situation on the Greek island remains “volatile and challenging”.
It said in a statement: “The situation in the Southern part of Rhodes remains volatile and challenging.”
“Due to this and considering the impact on local communities being affected, TUI has decided to cancel all flights and booked holidays to Rhodes for departures up to and incl. Tue, 25 July.”
Some flights to Rhodes continue
10:33 , Matt Mathers
Flights from the UK to Rhodes are continuing despite the wildfires that have seen thousands of tourists evacuated from their holiday hotels, Simon Calder reports.
Data from Flightradar24 shows flights on easyJet, Jet2 and Tui from a range of British airports touched down in the early hours of Sunday morning.
It was not immediately clear if the Jet2 planes are the empty aircraft we mentioned earlier, which were being used to evacuate holidaymakers.
Flights on easyJet from Bristol, Gatwick and Luton are on the way to Rhodes, with a departure from Gatwick preparing to leave.
Ryanair has flights scheduled for Sunday from Stansted, East Midlands and Manchester.
Wind to pick up significantly in Rhodes from tomorrow
10:12 , Matt Mathers
Winds are forecast to pick up significantly in Rhodes from tomorrow are fire crews battle wildfires on the island.
Gusts of up 21mph are forecast for Monday, with highs of 25mph on Tuesday, potentially hampering the effort to contain the fires.
Temperatures are also expected to remain sweltering in the mid-30s.
Jet2 dispatches planes to pick up holidaymakers
09:45 , Matt Mathers
Jet2 is dispatching five empty aircraft from UK airports to Rhodes to pick up holidaymakers, Simon Calder reports. The planes were scheduled to depart from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted airports with passengers on board to begin their holidays.
But instead those travellers will be offered refunds, while the planes bring back holidaymakers who were due to return.
A spokesperson for the Leeds-based airline said: “The situation in Rhodes continues to evolve quickly, and our absolute priority is the health, safety and well-being of customers and colleagues in the affected area.
“Our in-resort teams are working hard to comply with the guidance of local authorities, and we are continuing to bring more customer helpers and colleagues into the area to provide further assistance.
“We continue to ask customers in affected areas to follow the advice of both the local authorities, as well as staff in their hotels, who are acting under the advice of the authorities.
“We are contacting all customers in affected areas as quickly as possible by telephone so that we can support them with what they need.
“We are keeping the situation under constant review, and we will continue to make decisions in the best interests of our customers.”
Tornado tears through Milan suburb as extreme weather sweeps Italy
09:30 , Adam Withnall
Italy, which saw some of the hottest temperatures in Europe’s heatwave over the past couple of weeks, has seen the unbearable heat break in dramatic fashion in several places.
Parts of the country have been hit with intense hailstorms – not uncommon during the very hot summer months.
And on Friday morning what appears to be a small tornado struck the Milan suburb of Gessate.
Watch the video here:
Tornado tears through Milan suburb as extreme weather sweeps Italy
Rhodes wildfire escape ‘like the end of the world’ – British survivor
09:15 , Adam Withnall
Ian Murison, from London, is among the British tourists who was rescued from the beach in Rhodes by the small boats operation.
He was staying in the Kiotari area of Rhodes, on the southeast of the island near to Lindos, when the wildfires approached his hotel on Saturday.
He told Sky News he was having breakfast on the beach when the sky turned orange and dark.
“We noticed that the sea had started to become black with soot and actually people were coming out of the sea noticing ash was falling on to their heads.
“I can only describe it as almost a movie experience where everyone’s looking into the sky as it got a very strange orange colour, and everybody was just looking around going, ‘what’s going on?’”
Mr Murison said management started to evacuate his hotel but there were not enough vehicles, so he and his family started walking 5km down the road, eventually getting a lift to Gennadi beach.
“When we arrived, it was just a few hundred people - there were a couple of cafes and bars and they were serving beers and soft drinks, and everybody was just happy, thinking ‘great, we’ve got away from the fire’.
“And then over the next few hours, the amount of people in that area just increased and increased, and then as light fell, people became increasingly anxious about how they were going to get out from this.”
Mr Murison said they were told boats were on their way to collect them, triggering a rush of people to a nearby car park.
“It was literally like the end of the world,” he said.
“And the flames were now far more visible because of course it’s night-time and we couldn’t see that during the day.
“Suddenly there were leaping flames into the sky, and the sky was completely orange in the distance - so that sort of set about a level of panic.”
The place was littered with suitcases because they were throwing them off the boats
Ian Murison
Mr Murison said he and his family got on to one of the small boats that were taking people out to bigger vessels to transport them north to Rhodes Town.
“There were still hundreds of people, maybe a thousand people, on the beach when we left it, and the place was littered with suitcases because they were throwing them off the boats.”
Reflecting on his ordeal, Mr Murison said: “The mood was general panic.
“By the time it gets to getting on to the boats and things like that, there’s a lot of pushing and shoving, and there’s a lot of people, a lot of children crying as well.
“So I’m glad that’s all behind us now. Hopefully we can just finish up... in a bit of a calmer mood.”
Airlines working to support families on the ground
09:14 , Matt Mathers
Jet2, a budget airline that flies multiple daily flights from the UK to Rhodes during the summer, told The Independent that it was working to support tourists on the ground.
“We are aware of the fast-moving situation in Rhodes, and our in-resort teams are working to comply with the guidance of local authorities”, a spokesperson said.
“The health, safety and well-being of our customers will always be our number one priority and we ask any customers in affected areas to follow the advice of the local authorities, or their hoteliers who will be acting under the advice of the authorities.”
A spokesperson for travel company Tui, which organises package holidays to Rhodes, told The Independent that they are “aware of wildfires in the south of Rhodes and are monitoring the situation closely.”
Nick Ferris and Holly Bancroft have more details below:
Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate
What’s causing the prolonged European heatwave?
08:55 , Adam Withnall
Many parts of central and southern Europe have been seeing temperatures of 40C+ in the past two weeks and forecasters say these conditions could persist for at least two more weeks to come.
The reason for this prolonged heatwave is actually the same as what’s causing the UK to endure a long period of wet and windy weather – the jet stream.
This flow of air has been stuck in place roughly over France since early July, with the UK falling on the low pressure side and much of continental Europe on the high pressure side.
The jet stream is dividing northern & southern Europe at the minute.
Arctic air's keeping it cooler & unsettled to the north.
African air is raising temperatures in the south. pic.twitter.com/KtfpVMoCJC— Barra Best (@barrabest) July 18, 2023
Forecasters say there is unlikely to be any change in the stagnation of the jet stream until possibly the second half of August.
Cathryn Birch, professor of meteorology and climate at University of Leeds, said “there is a chance” the hottest temperature record of 48C in Europe can be broken “over the next week”.
“The jet stream is stuck in a stationary wavey pattern, with high pressure over southern Europe,” she says.
“This is not forecast to change before the end of the month, possibly until mid-August. Temperatures across southern Europe will remain very high until the jet stream pattern changes.”
How long is the heatwave in Europe expected to last?
08:30 , Adam Withnall
Europe is set to continue to bake under extreme heat for weeks as global temperatures soar with more records expected to be broken.
Meteorologists predicted that temperatures in the coming days could keep climbing until they surpass Europe’s current record of 48.8C, set in Sicily in August 2021.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) told The Independent that “above normal temperatures” are expected to continue over the next week.
Read more:
How long is the heatwave in Europe expected to last?
British tourists describe ‘chaos’ amid fires and power cuts on Rhodes
07:50 , Adam Withnall
Many Britons are among the thousands of tourists being evacuated due to wildfires in Rhodes, with the Foreign Office updating its guidance for those planning to travel to Greece, as well as those there who are affected.
British holidaymakers described “terrifying” scenes of turmoil as the five-day fire continues to rage, with power cuts causing “chaos” and an absence of information from travel agencies.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly tweeted: “The safety of British Nationals is our top priority.”
More eye witness accounts from British tourists here:
Fire causes travel chaos for British holidaymakers on Greek island
In pictures: Rhodes wildfires
07:30 , Adam Withnall
Wildfires have spread from the mountainous centre of Greece’s Rhodes island to threaten hotels and resorts on the coast. Here’s what the evacuation effort – involving thousands of tourists and authorities from several countries – looks like on the ground.
Tourists describe long walks to reach beach from evacuated Rhodes hotels
07:15 , Adam Withnall
Tourists on Rhodes have described how they were forced to walk for hours in the searing heat to try and escape the smoke.
“Currently stranded in Rhodes escaping the wildfires on foot – left everything at the hotel and fled with towels across our faces”, said Paul Kalburgi on Twitter.
“My youngest just told me he doesn’t want to die. Terrifying situation here.”
Another Twitter user, John Hughes, said he “had to walk four miles in the heat across dirt tracks in smoke and ash with a five year old. No possessions”.
Rhodes wildfires spread to east coast from centre
07:03 , Adam Withnall
The Rhodes wildfire has been burning for at least five days but until now was confined to the island’s mountainous and sparsely populated centre.
On Saturday, aided by strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions, it began to spread more widely and threaten the east coast, which is popular with tourists.
Fire Service spokesperson Yannis Artopios said on Saturday afternoon that residents of four localities were sent SMS messages to evacuate – in two places they were told to move to the northeast and in two others to the southwest. The British Embassy in Athens has also told people in Kiotari and Gennadi to evacuate to Plymiri.
Fleet of small boats rescue Rhodes tourists from beach
07:00 , Adam Withnall
Thousands of tourists were evacuated from Rhodes by a fleet of small boats on Saturday as spreading wildfires threatened hotels and resorts.
At least three resorts were ordered to be cleared out and tourists, many Britons among them, had to walk long distances with their luggage to reach the evacuation point.
Coastguard officials said their vessels were joined by some 30 private boats and that at least 2,000 people were evacuated, with the operation set to continue today.
Read more about the dramatic rescue here:
Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate
06:54 , Adam Withnall
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the European heatwave, including wildfires that have triggered evacuations on the island of Rhodes.
