Watch as wildfires rage and smoke rises across coastal towns in Greece

Watch a view of Kalyvia, Greece, where wildfires have sparked evacuations of coastal towns amid a summer heatwave.

Smoke continues to rise across the sky on Monday 17 July, while sizzling temperatures have swept across Europe in recent days and the heatwave has taken hold across many popular holiday hotspots in the Mediterranean.

Much of southern Europe has been in the high 30s, while some parts of southern Italy and areas in Greece have been in the low-to-mid 40s, which is eight to 12 degrees above the seasonal average for the region.

The hottest temperature recorded was around 45C and the heatwave has caused health issues, leading to a strain on local medical services during a busy tourist period.

Forecasters say in the coming days parts of Italy and Greece could push the 48.8C recorded in Syracuse, Sicily in August 2021, the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

The hot weather is set to continue for at least another week.