British tourists warned to expect extreme weather conditions as heatwaves grip Europe

Sweltering heatwave sweeps southern Europe as forecasters warn temperatures could “go down in history”

Greece shuts Acropolis and schools as it braces for heatwave of over 40C (Reuters)

British tourists travelling to holiday hotspots across the Mediterranean are warned to brace for extreme weather conditions as heatwaves grip southern Europe.

Greece, Italy, the Canary Islands, Spain, Turkey and Cyprus have already recorded temperatures above 40C, with Greece ravaged by a series of fires.

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said extreme conditions could hit both ends of the continent, while northern Scotland and Scandinavia will be wetter than usual.

The meteorological service said the latter part of the summer was likely to be “warmer than average everywhere”.

A woman holds a paper bag to protect herself from the sun during a heatwave in Athens, Greece (EPA)

Level 3 heat alerts - the highest level - have already been issued for several cities across Italy while Greece has told residents and tourists to prepare for record-breaking levels.

“This heatwave will go down in history,” meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told the Greek state television channel, ERT.

“In the 20th century, we never had a heatwave before June 19. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before June 15.”

Several foreign visitors have been reported to have gone missing during Greece’s heatwave including British TV presenter Dr Michael Mosley, who died in Symi, a Greek island close to Turkey.

Tourists with an umbrella walk in front of the Parthenon at the ancient Acropolis in central Athens during warm weather (AP)

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, seemingly vanished as he tried to walk through the Masca Valley in Tenerife after a night out on the way back to his accommodation.

Albert Calibet, 59, has been missing since last Tuesday while hiking on the island of Amorgos.

Extreme heat can be deadly and some estimates have put the death toll from last year’s record-breaking heatwave in Europe at about 6,000.

Authorities in Greece are investigating whether wildfires that threatened to engulf Athens were sparked by a single arsonist.

Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson, as well as extreme weather conditions.

A storage facility and at least one home were burned in Koropi, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages.