'We are at war': The latest on the heat waves around the world

"We are at war," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday, discussing the wildfires ravaging his country, exacerbated by Europe's hottest month in 174 years of keeping records.

"The climate crisis is already here," he told Greece's parliament.

As multiple heat waves grip large swaths of the globe, here are some reports from some of the front lines of that battle, including in Canada.

Wildfires and/or drought have affected many countries in Europe this summer, from Portugal to Turkey to Russia.

Fires burning since Wednesday on Greece's island of Rhodes forced the evacuation of 19,000 people — described as the largest undertaken in the country — as an inferno reached coastal resorts this weekend. Tour operators flew home nearly 1,500 holiday-makers at the start of a mass evacuation on Monday and officials said the threat of further fires was high in almost every region of the country.

The fires left blackened trees, dead animals and burnt-out cars. It also raised concerns that tourists will stay away in a country where one in five people work in tourism.

A wildfire also forced evacuations from the island of Corfu, and emergency services were dealing with multiple fires near Athens.

In Italy, fires were burning in woods and vegetation in various parts of Calabria, and Sicily's civil protection agency said the temperature in some areas in eastern Sicily rose to 47 C on Sunday, close to the record European high of 48.8 C from two years ago.

In Spain, voters in the general election Sunday braved temperatures expected to average above 35 degrees C, or five-to-10 degrees above normal, in many parts of the country. Authorities distributed fans to many voting stations.

"We have the heat, but the right to exercise our vote freely is stronger than the heat," said Rosa Maria Valladolid-Prieto, 79, in Barcelona.

With temperatures soaring in Alberta, including a forecast high of 32 C today, there are concerns the drug crisis will make extreme heat even more dangerous for vulnerable people there.

Outreach workers have been taking extra steps to ensure people experiencing homelessness and struggling with addictions are protected from the heat.

At the Calgary Drop-In Centre, staff are already watching out for negative effects of the heat.

"We're really looking out for things like heat exhaustion, extreme sunburn — so we will supply individuals with little packets of sunscreen — and dehydration," said Kevin Webb, director of emergency shelter and housing at the Calgary Drop-In Centre.