Huge wildfire rips through forest in South Cyprus

1. A appealed for help to tackle a huge wildfire described as the ‘worst’ in the South Cyprus’s history.

The blaze, fanned by strong winds, is spreading through the southern Limassol district and has forced the evacuation of several villages.

Dozens of properties have been damaged but no casualties have been reported.

The island has been experiencing a week-long heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 40C (104F).

Experts say that climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. However, linking any single event to global warming is complicated.

The Republic of Cyprus authorities have requested assistance from the European Union and Israel after the wildfire, which was reported at about midday on Saturday, intensified while burning in an area north of the cities of Limassol and Larnaca.

When talking about the fire which has inflamed part of the South Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus’s Director of the Department of Forests Charalambos Alexandrou told Omega TV “it is the worst forest fire in the history of Cyprus…”