Wildfires wreaked destruction across southern Europe, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

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.

A rapidly spreading wildfire near Patras, western Greece’s third-largest city, is posing a significant threat to infrastructure and homes as intense heat accompanied by strong winds ignites the fire across southern Europe.