Wildfires are still burning in Turkey, Greece, and Italy, forcing the evacuation of entire villages and beaches.

Coastal areas have been hit the hardest, with fires raging in several of Turkey's Mediterranean holiday cities for a fifth day.

During the weekend, tiny boats rescued residents and visitors as the coastguard and naval ships waited further out to sea in case a larger-scale evacuation was required.

Allyson, a 15-year resident of the Mediterranean town of Marmaris, said of the fires: "Something isn't right because I've never seen anything like this before.

"We've seen small fires in the past, but nothing like this.

"And it is not just here - it is everywhere."

In Turkey alone, there have been over 120 fires, with eight people confirmed deceased and another 27 being treated in hospitals.

During the hot summer months, fires are typical in southern Turkey, but experts say this year's are far larger than usual.

Authorities are looking into the possibility of arson, but scientists are blaming climate change, citing temperatures that are five or six degrees above typical for this time of year.

The current heatwave is being fueled by hot air from northern Africa, and temperatures in Antalya, Turkey's southern coastal city, hit 42 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Fahrenheit) over the weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 47 degrees Fahrenheit (116 degrees Fahrenheit) this week.

Helicopters are being deployed to fight the fires in certain regions that are too far away to access by land, but aerial firefighting was difficult in many places by Sunday night.

Mustafa Ozkaya, a forestry official, said workers were digging ditches to prevent the fire's spread, but that eight planes and 50 helicopters will fly on Monday.

Croatia, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan have all contributed to the aerial fighting force.

Parts of Greece and Italy have also been ravaged by fires.

Individuals hurried from the beach in the Italian city of Pescara, on the Adriatic coast, when they saw smoke and flames rising from a nearby pine forest, and several people were hurt trying to put out fires that had reached their homes.

As a fire threatened the Valley Of The Butterflies, a military base, and the village of Psinthos, all of which have been evacuated, many inhabitants on the Greek island of Rhodes were left without electricity and water.