The heatwave "takes over" Europe, over 40 degrees in Greece, Turkey, and Portugal

The heatwave has swept across much of Europe, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in several countries.

In Greece, the thermometer in Athens reached up to 41 degrees, pushing citizens toward the beaches to cool off. In Turkey, the high temperatures have been accompanied by outbreaks of wildfires in the cities of Izmir, Bursa, Sakarya, and Adana. In Adana, a firefighting plane crashed while attempting to collect water from a dam.

Meanwhile, both Portugal and Spain are also facing extreme temperatures. In some areas of Portugal, temperatures are expected to reach up to 44 degrees.

Authorities have issued fire hazard warnings due to drought conditions and strong winds.

The Portuguese meteorological service has issued a yellow alert for most of the country and an orange alert for the inland regions. The heatwave is expected to last until the weekend, when temperatures are forecast to gradually decrease.

“KORÇA BOOM”