Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home.

About 2,400 visitors and locals were evacuated from Corfu from Sunday into Monday, a fire service spokesperson said, adding that the departures were a precaution.

Greece has been sweltering under a lengthy spell of extreme heat that has exacerbated wildfire risk and left visitors stranded in peak tourist season.

Some 30,000 people fled Rhodes at the weekend, the country’s largest-ever wildfire evacuation.

Police said 16,000 people had been transported on land and evacuated 3,000 by sea. Others had to flee by road or used their own transport after being told to leave the area.

Rhodes, which counted 2.5 million visitor arrivals in 2022, is one of Greece’s leading holiday destinations.

Like every summer, Greece is plagued by forest fires, often deadly, ravaging tens of thousands of hectares of forest and vegetation.

This summer, the country experienced one of the longest heatwaves in recent years, according to experts, with the thermometer hitting 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) on the weekend.

On Monday, the heat was expected to ease slightly, with temperatures expected to reach 37C (98.6F) in Athens, but on Tuesday, it was forecasted to pick up again.