Greek wildfires: dry winter and strong winds led to tinderbox conditions

Experts call for better forest management and focus on prevention after blaze that killed more than 70 people

An unusually dry winter, with less than average rainfall interspersed with localised flooding in some areas, is emerging as a major contributing factor to the wildfires that are ravaging the mainland of Greece.

Lack of the expected steady rainfall in the winter months meant groundwater sources failed to recharge and left vegetation unable to recover fully from the high temperatures of the 2017 summer. As a result, when temperatures topping 40C hit some areas during this summer's heatwave and drought, the conditions were already in place for wildfires to take hold.