Europe weather: Highest temperatures yet to come as tourists left stranded outside Greek landmark

Europe is set to reach even higher temperatures over the weekend, as the Cerberus heatwave continues to grip the south of the continent.

Temperatures are expected to continue to swelter in Italy, with a second heatwave expected to rocket 12C (53.6F) above average in some areas on Sunday.

Five cities in Sicily, Sardinia and Puglia have issued fresh warnings for individuals to avoid being out in the midday heat after the Italian health ministry issued the same warning in another 10 cities from Bologna to Rome on Friday.

A similar “red alert” was issued in Cyprus, appealing for the public to take extra care and avoid using any machinery that could spark fires.

In the capital Nicosia, more than two dozen elderly people sought refuge at a dedicated heat shelter the municipality reserves for summer heatwaves.

Temperatures are expected to hit a midday high of 43C (110F) on Saturday, and are not expected to go below 27C (77F) even through the night, while humidity will hit 65% along the coast.

It follows temperatures of above 40C (104F) in Greece, which left tourists disgruntled after the temporary closure of the Acropolis in Athens.

Staff from charity the Red Cross handed out bottled water to dehydrated tourists waiting in long lines hoping to beat the Acropolis’ 12-5pm local time closure, but some were left disappointed at the last-minute announcement by authorities.

“I even bought a €50 ticket to skip the line to enter and I couldn’t enter the place,” Hector from Mexico said on Friday.

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Spain, Italy and Greece to swelter in 40C heat

In Spain, people packed the beaches on Friday as the country enjoyed a short-lived respite from its second heatwave of the summer.

Temperatures were still expected to reach 40C in at least 12 of Spain’s 17 regions, after a high of 45C scorched the south-eastern town of Albox on Wednesday.

Spain’s Aemet state weather agency said another heatwave is expected to start on Sunday with highest temperatures yet to come.

Spanish coastal areas like Las Palmas, Tenerife and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands were at high risk of forest fires on Friday.

A map created by Sky News, adapted from Copernicus Emergency Management Service data, showed most coastal regions at “moderate” or “high” risk of forest fires.

Meanwhile, inland areas painted a different picture – with much of the centre of the map under “very high”, “extreme” or “highly extreme” risk of blazes.

People in Croatia found creative ways of staying cool, using mud to protect themselves from the glaring heat as the country reached 30-37C (86F).

“It [mud] is definitely better than sun screen, I think protection factor is much better,” said Josef, a Slovakian tourist visiting the coastal town of Nin.

People in Rome and Greece used the cities numerous fountains to cool off.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg weighed in on the high temperatures in a post on Twitter, saying global heat records should serve as an urgent wake-up call.

“Last week we experienced the hottest days ever recorded, many days in a row. We are also experiencing record high sea level temperatures and record low ice levels. This is an emergency,” she said.

Away from Europe, dangerous heatwaves are also being seen in the US, with more than a third of Americans put under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings on Thursday.

Phoenix hit 43C (109F) for the 14th consecutive day, putting it on track for a possible new record next week.