BBC: Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated from towns north of the Greek capital, Athens, as wildfires spread across the country.

Strong winds and high temperatures are making it difficult to control the blazes, which have killed at least two people, including a firefighter.

Huge clouds of smoke and ash near Athens has meant some people there have also been urged to leave their homes.

This is when it becomes real - big populations affected by fire, smoke, ash.

Temps have been over 40C - it is other worldly - we had it here in 2019.

Forget the year of the flood - 'the year of the polar opposites' - is more accurate.

Europe generally has had a hot dry summer - except Germany which had flash floods.

Asia seems to have been wet mostly. Wet in Australia for over 6 months. Dry West Coast of US. Hardly any Cat-3+ hurricanes/typhoons so far.

SFAIK, there's no La Nina deal going on - though it seems similar to the sort of drought/flood effect that can produce.