Greece's national meteorological service on Tuesday issued a heat wave alert for the east Mediterranean country this week, with near-40C temperatures expected to be recorded in the Ionian islands and the western mainland on the day.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 40C in many parts of the mainland on Wednesday, while the heat wave be severely felt on Thursday, with temperatures reaching as high as 42C and 43C in the Thessaly plain of central Greece, the south-central mainland and the southern Peloponnese.
