Experts say the Greek island of Santorini has been hit by more than 1,000 earthquakes, but they're not linked to the region's active volcanoes.

Earthquakes rattled Greece's volcanic island of Santorini every few minutes through the night and into Wednesday as authorities bolstered their emergency plans in case the hundreds of temblors over the past few days are a harbinger of a larger quake to come.

Greece is preparing for any scenario but experts are optimistic about the tremors that triggered an exodus of residents and visitors from the Aegean Sea island of Santorini.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged people on the island of Santorini to "stay calm" after an increase in seismic activity. His remarks come as schools were told to close on Monday and authorities advised against large gatherings in enclosed spaces across the island,

Authorities deployed emergency rescue crews to Greece's volcanic island of Santorini on Monday as hundreds of people scrambled to leave after a spike in seismic activity raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake.