Urgent warning for summer holidaying Brits to brace for 43C heatwave in tourist hotspot Greece – before STORMS strike

AN URGENT warning has been issued for holidaying Brits jetting off to Greece this summer as highs of 43C are set to hit the tourist hotspot. The Mediterranean nation will face its hottest days of the years so far – and visitors from the UK have been urged to travel with caution. Temperatures in Greece are soaring and could reach 43C Credit: Getty The unprecedented heatwave kicked off on Sunday and is expected to last until Wednesday. The mercury will soar past 40C in several regions – and experts say locals and tourists may feel this more acutely because of intense sunlight. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! In Thessaly, Aitoloakarnania, Phthiotis, Boeotia and the Peloponnese, residents will see temperatures of up to 42C, while in Larissa, highs of 43C are expected. Holiday hotspots Crete and Rhodes will also record sweltering highs of 41C, authorities predict. In Athens, it could reach 40C, with most areas around the capital set to see temperatures between 37C and 38C. In Thessaloniki – where huge wildfires engulfed swathes of land earlier this month – temperatures will reach about 37C. Doctors have urged people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight, and wear loose clothing while also avoiding booze if possible. As a precautionary measure, several Greek cities have opened air-conditioned halls and public spaces for locals and holidaymakers to cool off. Most read in The Sun A person cools off at a water spray during a heatwave in Athens, Greece, July 20 Credit: Reuters The Thessaly region will see highs of 43C Credit: Alamy The UK Foreign Office’s website says there is still a “high risk of wildfires” from April to October. “Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location,” it says. “Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.” From Thursday onwards, the weather is expected to become less extreme. Wildfires ripped through Thessaloniki earlier this month amid a heatwave Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Emergency services battled Greek wildfires Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The heat is set to drop dramatically and thunderstorms may follow in the aftermath. Temperatures will fall by up to 10 degrees in some regions and strong gusts are also expected to follow. It comes after sprawling wildfires tore through Europe amid a record-breaking heatwave. More than 19,000 hectares of land were destroyed across Europe amid the sweltering temperatures. The European Commission helped 14 countries in the worst-affected areas of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal to fight further blazes. In Greece, emergency services faced nearly 100 infernos over 48 hours as firestorms wreaked havoc across the country. The most dangerous blaze was in Mandra, northwest of Athens, where 210 firefighters, 76 vehicles and 29 water-dropping aircraft were deployed. The area was put under a level-four extreme fire risk warning. Flames sparked by a forest fire also tore through factories in Thessaloniki in the north of the country over the weekend. The infernos led to mass evacuations as authorities warned households to keep their windows closed due to “toxic smoke”. A facility housing 157 people with disabilities was also forced to evacuate amid the chaos. A 76-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of having started the blaze through negligence by generating sparks with his vehicle. Comment now