UK tourists warned over 'torrid' problem 'ripping through' Spain, Greece, Italy

UK tourists have been warned over a problem "ripping through" Spain, Italy and Greece. Tourists and holidaymakers in the European Union holiday hotspot have been warned as a 42C heatwave sweeps the countries, with sweltering highs and stifling heat.

Temperatures have hit 45C in Greece in recent days as a southern Europe heatwave scorches the continent. Portugal is also seeing brutal levels of the mercury on the thermometers in recent days, with residents blasted with 42C in some areas.

In Italy, the likes of Naples are seeing temperatures well above thirty and termperatures breaching 40 in some areas. David Schultz, a professor of Synoptic Meteorology at The University of Manchester, told Sky News it seem like the UK is "one to three degrees below normal for this time of year."

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It's a huge contrast to the weather in the UK, which has been "disappointingly cool" so far this month, Sky News meteorologist Steff Gaulter says. "The air over North Africa has been even hotter than usual this year, so this has raised the temperature even further," she says.

"This is the first time that a heatwave has hit Greece before 15 June and the records in Athens date back to 1890," she says. In terms of what the UK is in for, Gaulter says there "are no clear signals either way" at this point. He said: "We will have to wait and see."

In Spain, cities such as Cordoba and Seville could accumulate more than seven consecutive days with maximum temperatures above 40C, "reaching 42-43 degrees", he revealed. The intense heat will also manifest itself at night, with minimum temperatures that in many places will not fall below 20 or even 25C.

Sur, a Spanish publication, has warned the weather will be "torrid" and lead to some discomfort at nights.