Weather tracker: Parts of Europe suffer under heatwave – with little relief at night

Greece experiencing most severe wildfire risk in two decades and some reservoirs hit lowest levels in a decade

Southern and eastern Europe will continue to experience a heatwave throughout much of this week, with daytime temperatures across the Balkans widely reaching the high 30s to low 40Cs; over 7C above the seasonal norm. Night-time temperatures will also remain elevated, often well into the 20Cs.

And in densely urbanised areas such as Athens, Greece, night-time temperatures are forecast at or above an uncomfortable 30C due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. During a heatwave, the UHI effect intensifies urban temperatures because heat-absorbing materials, reduced vegetation and human activities retain the sun's warmth overnight, which leads to increased health risks and energy demands.