UK tourists warned over dramatic change sweeping Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal

Tourists have been warned that several holiday hotspots will be gripped by a scorching heatwave over the next fortnight. Several destinations popular with Brits will experience extreme heat during July.

Temperatures across southern Europe have been pushed up by winds from North Africa. Weather maps by WXCharts show most areas of Spain and Portugal will see highs of mid to late 30s on Wednesday. In the Sevilla area, the mercury is predicted to hit 42C.

The Express reports that southern Italy, Turkey, the Balkans and Greece have been baking under the scorching sun, with the hot weather expected to continue into next month. A number of Italian cities have already issued heat warnings as temperatures were forecasted to exceed 39C.

READ MORE: Met Office explains how long UK heatwave will last - and when next one will be

Spiking temperatures in Greece have proved deadly for six tourists in recent weeks. The Acropolis in Athens was also shut down by Greek authorities due to the extreme weather due to there being no cover to provide shade.

People have been urged to take care when venturing outside during a heatwave, with experts saying age, fitness and health complications were factors that could have an impact on how the body reacts to the hot weather.