UK tourists flying to Portugal, Italy, Turkey warned over 'intense' change

Weather maps have hit 43C as a killer heatwave roasts the European Union from Portugal to Turkey. UK holidaymakers have been warned over heading abroad to the likes of Portugal and Turkey this summer amid rising temperatures across the continent.

The new maps reveal temperatures of up to 41C for some areas of Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Algeria. Kenan Yüksel, a weather forecaster in Turkey, highlighted the widespread impacts expected this week, as more and more Brits fly abroad.

“There is a risk of forest fires in the western regions of the country as temperatures and winds increase intensity, and flood risk in the Black Sea and northern parts of Eastern Anatolia due to strong rainfall,” Yüksel stated. Speaking about the winds, Yüksel noted, “The intensity of the wind will decrease at night.

READ MORE Horrified Brits in Spain and Greece warned to stay indoors 'in middle of day'

"However, tomorrow [July 2], especially in the coastal Aegean region, wind speed of 40-60 kilometers per hour will occasionally reach 70-80 kilometers per hour during the day. Unfortunately, unfavorable conditions may continue. However, we expect the wind speed to decrease in areas where forest fires are burning in the evening.”

Yüksel emphasized the unusually high temperatures in the southern and western regions, noting that they continue to exceed seasonal norms. “The temperatures this week will be 3 to 6 degrees [Celsius] above seasonal norms in the southern and western parts of the country, and after Wednesday [June 3], the temperatures will increase further and will be 4 to 8 degrees above seasonal norms," he said.

"Temperatures of 29-30 degrees Celsius in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions will rise to 35-36 degrees in the middle of the week.” Yüksel also provided detailed forecasts for three metropolitan cities, indicating that temperatures in Istanbul will be 30-32 degrees, and the temperature in Ankara, which is 30 degrees, will rise to 36 degrees on June 3.

Temperatures in İzmir are expected to hover around 35-36 degrees.