Travel Alerts
Status updates on wildfires, storms, and other conditions that may affect travel to our destinations.
This information is provided for general awareness only and may not be complete or up to date. Always verify current conditions and travel restrictions with official government, embassy, or airline sources before making travel decisions.
Flight suspensions and elevated security risk in Bahrain
Gulf security conditions escalated sharply on 19 August after Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the Strait of Hormuz and rejected a proposed ceasefire. EASA's advisory to avoid Bahrain's airspace entirely ("at all levels") remains in force through 31 August. No new missile or drone activity affecting Bahrain has been reported since 19 August, and connectivity remains mixed by carrier: Etihad's Bahrain service is now fully normalized, but Emirates and Air Arabia continue to cancel some Bahrain-bound flights as of 28 August. Bahrain International Airport itself remains open; travelers should verify flights directly with their airline before travelling.
Updated August 29, 2026
Airport disruption and periodic airspace restrictions in Kuwait
Gulf security conditions escalated sharply on 19 August after Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward the Strait of Hormuz and rejected a proposed ceasefire; EASA's advisory to avoid Kuwait's airspace entirely ("at all levels") remains in force through 31 August. No new missile or drone activity affecting Kuwait has been reported since, and connectivity has continued a gradual, uneven normalization through late August: Emirates and Etihad flights to Kuwait were operating on schedule as of 28 August, while Air Arabia cancelled several Kuwait-bound services the same day. Kuwait International Airport remains open (Terminal 1 still closed for repairs), with Kuwait Airways, Jazeera Airways and Qatar Airways continuing services. Verify flights directly with your airline before travelling.
Updated August 29, 2026
Aviation disruption risk in the United Arab Emirates
Gulf security conditions remain highly elevated but state-on-state kinetic activity has cooled: no Iranian missile or drone launches have been recorded for over a week through 28 August. The crisis has shifted toward economic pressure and contested claims about the maritime threat: the US unveiled sweeping new "Operation Economic Outcast" sanctions on Iran on 25 August, and US Central Command declared on 27 August that it had cleared Iranian mines from Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes - a claim allied governments have publicly questioned, especially after a Kuwaiti-flagged tanker was struck and holed transiting the Strait on 26 August. The UAE maintains its indefinite trade embargo on Iran, and Iran has blacklisted dozens of tankers including ones linked to UAE's ADNOC. EASA continues to advise operators avoid UAE airspace entirely through 31 August; UAE flight schedules have partially recovered but connecting routes to Bahrain and Kuwait remain fragmented carrier-by-carrier as of 28 August. Travelers should verify flights directly with their airline before travelling and monitor official UAE government channels.
Updated August 29, 2026
Aviation disruption risk in Qatar amid regional escalation
Gulf security conditions remain elevated, though direct kinetic risk has cooled: no Iranian missile or drone launches have been recorded for over a week through late August. Qatar has stepped into a central diplomatic broker role, with its Prime Minister holding Hormuz de-escalation talks in Tehran on 26-27 August and again meeting Iranian President Pezeshkian on 27-28 August, proposing a temporary shipping corridor and joint mine-clearing framework; US Central Command separately declared on 27 August that Hormuz shipping lanes had been cleared of Iranian mines, though allied governments remain skeptical. Iran says full normalization still depends on the US lifting sanctions and its naval blockade. Qatar Airways continues operating its network, including resumed daily service to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil, and Hamad International Airport remains open. EASA's advisory against Qatari airspace remains formally in force through 31 August; travelers should verify flights directly with Qatar Airways before travelling.
Updated August 29, 2026
Elevated security risk in Oman amid regional escalation
Oman remains at the center of the wider regional escalation, though de-escalatory signals continued through late August: following the 26 August agreement on a temporary Hormuz shipping corridor negotiated in Tehran, US Central Command declared on 27 August that it had cleared Iranian mines from Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes, though allied governments have voiced skepticism the threat is fully resolved. A Kuwaiti-flagged tanker (AL SALAM II) was struck and holed transiting the Strait on 26 August, and Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic remains well below normal. The US State Department maintains a Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") advisory for Oman, and all non-emergency US visa services remain suspended. Separately, the major oil spill from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi off the Al Hallaniyat Islands remains unresolved: salvage work stalled in late August due to monsoon winds and possible hull deformation, with the slick continuing to drift into the North Arabian Sea. Muscat and the main tourist areas are not reported closed, but travelers should monitor local guidance, avoid military, government and energy-infrastructure sites, and check conditions before visiting Ras Madrakah or Masirah Island beaches.
Updated August 29, 2026
Houthi missile and drone attacks disrupting Saudi Arabian airports
Since mid-July, Yemen's Houthi movement has repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabian infrastructure and forces, including missile and drone strikes on Abha International Airport, an attack on an Aramco facility at Jazan, and strikes on Najran, plus attacks on Red Sea shipping. No new confirmed Houthi attacks on Saudi airports have been reported since 20-21 August, though Houthi forces reportedly fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi-owned supertanker AMZAN in the Red Sea on 24 August, showing maritime risk persists even as airport strikes have paused. US Central Command declared on 27 August that Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes had been cleared of Iranian mines, part of a broader, still-contested regional de-escalation trend, though the underlying Houthi-Saudi conflict remains unresolved and could flare again with little warning. EASA continues to advise avoiding Saudi-adjacent Gulf airspace (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE) entirely through 31 August. This mainly affects airports and routes near the Yemen border and Red Sea coast; Riyadh and Jeddah remain broadly operational, but travelers should expect possible delays and verify flights before travelling.
Updated August 29, 2026
Wildfire risk and local disruptions in Western Attica, Greece
Western Attica's original fire zone (Psatha, Porto Germeno, Megara) has had no new incident since the Kouvaras fire was contained on 10 August. The two newer fires from 25 August - on Salamina island near the naval base, and on the Attica-Boiotia border near Tsoukalades/Agios Vlasios - were both reported under control without an active front by 26 August, though full extinguishment was not separately confirmed. The driving heatwave eased on 28 August, but Attica was still rated Category 4 ("very high risk") for 29 August. Visitors to Salamina, the Boiotia border area and greater Attica should confirm current conditions before travelling and continue to check the daily fire-risk category and follow 112 instructions.
Updated August 29, 2026
Crete wildfires: thousands evacuated, two firefighters killed
Crete's wildfire risk has remained elevated through the final days of August: a small fire near Agioi Deka (Heraklion) on 25 August was contained by evening, and a renewed heatwave pushed the island to Category 4 ("very high") risk on 27 August, then to Category 5 ("extreme risk/red alert") across the whole island - alongside Rhodes and Karpathos - for both 28 and 29 August. No uncontrolled fire is currently active on Crete; satellite monitoring found no fires within 150km of the island as of 26 August. Visitors should avoid fire-prone rural areas, avoid any activity that could spark a fire, and follow local 112 instructions closely through this extended extreme-risk period.
Updated August 29, 2026
Active wildfire season along Croatia's Adriatic coast
The acute wildfire crisis of 13-16 August has passed, and Croatia's other major fires have since been resolved: the roughly 6,000-hectare Dinara wildfire and the Omis/Lokva Rogoznica fire (final toll: one fatality, 43 injured including three firefighters, ~2,500 evacuated) were both brought fully under control by the evening of 26 August, and a small fire on the Pakleni Islands near Hvar was extinguished within a day (24-25 August). The one fire still generating ongoing local impact is on Croatia's border with Bosnia and Herzegovina near Konavle: the Ivanica-area blaze that had crossed into Zupa Dubrovacka has been extinguished, but a separate fire continues to burn on the Bosnian side as of 27 August, described by the local fire commander as "very serious," producing morning smoke over the Cavtat-Molunat area though not currently crossing into Croatian territory or threatening homes or tourist areas. Beyond this, only routine seasonal grass, scrub and forest fires continue to be recorded most weeks across the Dalmatian coast, typically contained within hours. Travelers to the Split-Omis-Makarska corridor, Peljesac, Dubrovnik/Konavle (including Cavtat) and the Zadar island group should expect occasional smoke and verify accommodation and road status directly, though the region overall is trending toward normal monitoring levels.
Updated August 29, 2026
Heavy rain and dangerous seas affecting parts of Thailand
Nan province's flood disaster continues in its recovery phase: floodwaters remain below the riverbank, cleanup and utility restoration are nearly complete, and compensation payments are due to be finished by 1 September. The confirmed death toll stands at four. Thailand's disaster agency (DDPM) has broadened its flood watch to 51 provinces for 29 August-2 September as monsoon rainfall increases nationwide, with the highest risk in the North, Northeast and East - Nan itself is no longer named among the acute-risk areas. The Andaman coast (Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket) and upper Gulf remain under an unchanged advisory for rough seas, with waves of 2-3 metres (locally above 3m in thunderstorms). Travelers to northern Thailand should verify road and infrastructure status in Nan before travelling, and those on the Andaman coast should avoid small-boat excursions in poor conditions.
Updated August 29, 2026
Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in eastern China: over 1 million evacuated
Typhoon Saudel weakened rapidly after making a double landfall in Zhejiang on 28 August, dropping to a severe tropical storm and forecast to become a tropical depression by 29-30 August as it tracks inland. Major Shanghai-area port terminals (Waigaoqiao, Yangshan, Ningbo) reopened during the afternoon of 28 August and Ningbo's emergency response was stepped down from Level I to Level II, though barge terminals at Taizhou, Wenzhou and Jiaxing remained suspended; no casualties or major damage have been reported. This follows an unusually active August in eastern China, with earlier landfalls by Typhoon Dolphin (9 August, over 1 million evacuated) and Typhoon Gaenari (24 August, Fujian). Travelers in Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai should still expect residual flight, rail and ferry disruption as services normalize, and confirm schedules directly with operators.
Updated August 29, 2026
Typhoon Dolphin affecting Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Typhoon Saudel's closest approach to Okinawa (25-26 August) caused two minor injuries, roughly 150 flight cancellations at Naha airport and power outages to more than 30,000 homes in nearby Kagoshima Prefecture, before the storm pulled away toward the East China Sea and made a double landfall on China's Zhejiang coast on 28 August, weakening steadily thereafter. No new tropical system currently threatens Okinawa or the Ryukyu Islands, and flight and ferry operations have returned to normal. This alert is now considered resolved; it follows Typhoon Dolphin's earlier passage in early August, which injured five people and cut power to roughly 14,000 buildings. Travelers should continue following Japan Meteorological Agency guidance given the active nature of this typhoon season.
Updated August 29, 2026
Heavy rain and flooding disruption in Delhi-NCR, India
Delhi-NCR's exceptionally wet August has eased: after the Safdarjung observatory recorded 246.2mm of rain by 24 August (about 29% above normal) and IMD issued red alerts amid fresh waterlogging around AIIMS, Connaught Place and ITO, rain intensity dropped through 26-27 August. IMD's official 27 August bulletin shows "NIL" warning impact with no rain forecast at all from 29 August through 2 September, and no new flight disruption has been reported at Indira Gandhi International Airport since 25 August. Conditions are returning to normal; this alert is now considered resolved absent renewed heavy rain.
Updated August 28, 2026
Deadly wildfire on Salamis Island near Athens
Two separate fires broke out within about 20 minutes of each other on 16 August near the popular beaches of Peristeria and Selinia on Salamis Island, near Athens. An elderly couple was found dead in the Peristeria area, and more than 570 weekend beachgoers were evacuated by Coast Guard patrol boats and other vessels. Greece's fire service mobilized roughly 260 firefighters, nearly 60 engines, 10 aircraft and seven helicopters, with reinforcements rushed from the mainland. The fire was declared contained the next day with no active front remaining; damage assessments found about 16 properties affected, a compensation process has opened, and a suspect has been arrested. Ferry and road access to the island is unaffected and no further incidents have been reported since.
Updated August 24, 2026
Wildfire forces mass boat evacuation of tourists on the Halkidiki peninsula
The Halkidiki wildfire that forced a mass boat evacuation on 13 August was brought under control by 14 August: the Hellenic Fire Service reported no active fire front in the Siviri area, though numerous scattered hotspots remained. The fire burned around 350 hectares (3,500 stremmas) on the Kassandra peninsula and forced the evacuation of 481 residents and tourists, with damage to homes and infrastructure. 227 firefighters, 57 vehicles, 13 forest commando teams, six aircraft and one helicopter continued operating to prevent flare-ups. Central Macedonia, including Halkidiki, remained at Category 4 (Very High) fire risk through mid-August alongside much of Greece, but no new incident has been confirmed in the area since.
Updated August 24, 2026