For very high risk of occurrence and spread of forest fires today and tomorrow in the Aegeanthe eastern mainland and locally in western Peloponnese warns the Pyrometeorological Team of the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr.

Cause of the very adverse fire-meteorological conditions are the strengthened northerly winds (6-7 Beaufort and locally 8 Beaufort) over the Aegean and the eastern mainland, combined with the very hot and dry conditions prevailing in our country during the last few days, which have significantly increased the flammability of forest fuels.

Overall, the fire-meteorological conditions today and tomorrow are expected to be particularly dangerous for the occurrence and spread of forest fires, weather type Hot – Dry – Windy.

Particularly, the highest risk is expected today for wind-driven wildfires in Attica (mainly east), central and southern Evia, Corinth, Argolis, Laconia, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Naxos and Crete.

The highest risk of wind-driven forest fires is expected for tomorrow in Attica, Boeotia, Phocis, Evia, Corinth, Argolis, Arcadia, Laconia, Messinia, Lesvos, Chios, Limnos, Skyros, Samos, western and southern Crete. In places high risk is also expected in western Sterea, Ilia, Achaia, Zakynthos, Cyclades and Rhodes.

hot-dry-windy

It is pointed out that in the above geographic zones, special attention should be paid to areas where northerly winds will “align” with topography and forest fuel (eg when the wind blows perpendicular to the slope of a densely vegetated mountain mass), maximizing the potential for extreme fire behaviour.

Finally, the prognostic evidence currently available suggests continuation of unfavorable fire-meteorological conditions in the coming days, as a significant rise in temperature is expected again.