Athens: wildfires 'out of control' amid heatwave alert

Wildfires continued to burn out of control to the north and west of Athens on Tuesday, with more extreme heat on the way.

Several fires also broke out nearer the capital, where winds remained moderate but scrub and forest land has been dried out by extreme temperatures last week.

A police spokesperson said several roads near the fires were closed to allow faster access by emergency services.

Greece also activated a rapid mapping evaluation system, which uses EU satellite data to assess fire damage, for the three large wildfires that burned outside Athens for a second day,

A second heatwave is expected Thursday, with temperatures as high as 44C (111F) expected in central and southern parts of the country by the end of the week.