Serious fires in southern Europe 1:31
Evia, Greece (CNN) -
Greece is facing a "natural disaster of unprecedented proportions" as 586 wildfires rage "in every corner" of the country, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised speech on Monday.
The Mediterranean nation is roasting during one of its worst heat waves in decades and firefighters continue to fight fires across the country.
Sixty-three organized evacuations have been carried out in recent days, Mitsotakis said.
Forest fires devastate southern Europe 2:12
He also apologized "for any weakness" of the government to contain the forest fires, which have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced people to evacuate dozens of villages in the last week.
SPECIAL: everything you need to know about the weather, climate change and the weather.
"These past few days have been some of the most difficult for our country in decades," he said, citing extreme heat and dry months as problems that have complicated firefighting efforts.
Environmental authorities have warned that southern Europe, where droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, is at greater risk from the impacts of climate change on the continent.
Elderly people in makeshift chairs and beds aboard a ferry in the port of the village of Pefki, during a forest fire in the village of Pefki in Evia.
"It is obvious that the climate crisis is affecting the entire planet," Mitsotakis said.
"That is the explanation, but not an excuse, not an alibi. We may have done everything humanly possible, but in many cases this did not seem to be enough in the unequal battle with nature," he added.
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On Monday, a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that it is "unequivocal" that humans caused the climate crisis and confirmed that "rapid and widespread changes" have already occurred, some of them irreversibly.
The key findings of the UN report on the climate crisis
Scientists are more confident than ever in connecting the dots between the climate crisis and extreme weather: globally, droughts that may have occurred only once every 10 years or so now occur 70% more often, according to The report.
And amid relentless drought and record heat, wildfire seasons are now longer, resulting in more destructive fires.
Devastating forest fires in Europe 1:12
Mitsotakis said any flaws in Greece's firefighting response will be identified, those responsible will be held accountable and the people whose property was destroyed will be compensated.
The prime minister will chair a cabinet meeting on Tuesday in which they will announce specific measures to address the effects of the wildfires.
Chris Liakos and Elinda Labropoulou reported from Evia, Greece. Amy Woodyatt wrote from London. Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez contributed reporting.
Fire heat wave