Rhodes fires: flights cancelled as thousands of tourists and residents evacuated on Greek island

It’s an island inferno.

As flames continue to lick coastal tourist areas after ripping through the mountainous interior of Rhodes, the Greek authorities say they’re dealing with the country’s biggest fire evacuation ever.

Nineteen thousand people have been rescued from villages and hotels – three thousand of those picked up in boats from the beaches where two days ago they were swimming and sunbathing.

Now the fire service is warning that things could get even worse with temperatures due to climb to 45 degrees in the next few days.