ATHENS (Reuters) -Firefighters battled on Monday to put out wildfires in three separate provinces of Turkey, in Greece and near a tourist resort in Albania, stoked by strong winds after days of searing heat across the Mediterranean region.

Greece is among the countries in southern Europe battling wildfires this summer as firefighters continue to tackle blazes on both the mainland and on several of its islands

A major forest fire has broken out in Greece, and authorities have ordered several villages near Corinth, west of Athens, to evacuate.

Greece and Turkey continue to battle major wildfires amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures reached 42.4C in central Greece at the weekend, with emergency services battling fires in the Peloponnese area of Athens and on the popular tourist islands of Kytheria and Crete.

As parts of Europe contend with record-breaking heat, wildfires have broken out in countries including Greece, Italy and Türkiye, forcing thousands of locals to evacuate their homes.

Firefighters are battling several blazes, with officials warning that extreme heat will pose a risk of more in the coming days.

Greece battled wildfires that have ravaged homes and prompted evacuations for a second day on Sunday, with the help of Czech firefighters and Italian aircraft expected to arrive later.

A firefighter has been left dead after horror wildfires have forced thousands of people to evacuate in both Greece & Turkey with one official warning 'the real difficulties are ahead'