'Silent killer' warning as southern Europe swelters

STORY: Tourists shelter from the heat in Italy ... some diving into the city’s fountains.

Southern Europe sweltered in a fierce heatwave called Cerberus on Thursday,

as forecasters said temperatures could hit record highs for the continent next week.

Climate scientist at Reading University Hannah Cloke warned that could be deadly.

''These temperatures are very high. It does cause danger to life, so we're very worried that a number of people will die in this heat wave. When we saw the heat wave last summer in 2022, it's estimated that over 60,000 people died in that heat wave across Europe. Heat is a silent killer. So this is the main concern that people's lives are at risk.''

In Athens an ambulance was put on standby near the archaeological site of the Acropolis

ready to provide first aid to tourists suffering in the heat.

Weather alerts are in place across Italy, Cyprus and Greece, with the Greek

authorities expecting temperatures to reach as high as 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile in Croatia, tourists covered themselves with mud

to protect their skin from the burning sun.

The record European temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit was registered in Sicily in August 2021

But the European Space Agency said next week could see the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe

Cloke called for an end to pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere but warned some changes to the climate were already "locked in."