ATHENS: Greek emergency services were battling many wildfires on Saturday afternoon as a week-long heatwave peaked with temperatures surpassing 45C degrees.

According to firefighters, one of the most difficult fronts was around Drosopigi in northern Attica, just 30 kilometres north of Athens.

Authorities called for an evacuation of the village, while according to staterun Ertnews tv, a house was already under fire in Drosopigi, as winds of 5 to 6 Beaufort raged.

Authorities had warnedof an extreme risk of wildfires on Saturday, placing several regions under a red Category 5 alert, the highest on the national scale, due to hot and dry conditions. A week-long heatwave in Greece that began on Monday was expected to last untilthis Monday, the country`s weather service.

The National Observatory in Athens said the warmest temperature recorded on Friday was 45.8C (114F) in the Peloponnese region of Messinia, while on Saturday the temperature reached 45.2Cin Amfilohia, western Greece.-AFP