Holidaymakers heading to Europe anytime soon are being warned as a 'heat storm' is currently wreaking havoc across the continent.
Half of EU territory is currently in drought, posing a major risk for wildfires.
The risk of wildfires ranges from moderate to high over most of the continent, and is "extreme" over the Iberian Peninsula.
Italy has issued hot weather red alerts for 16 cities - as meteorologists warned temperatures will hit record highs across southern Europe this week.
A new anticyclone dubbed Charon, who in Greek mythology ferries souls to the underworld, pushed into the region from north Africa on Sunday and could lift temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius across parts of the country in the coming days.
"We need to prepare for a severe heat storm that, day after day, will blanket the whole country," Italian weather news service Meteo said.
"In some places ancient heat records will be broken."
Officials have warned the public and holidaymakers about the dangers of visiting tourism hotspots in such severe weather.
Italy is one of the European countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with extreme weather events within the past 13 months responsible for more than 50 deaths.
It comes after Greece closed the ancient Acropolis in Athens during the hottest part of the day on Friday to protect tourists from the scorching temperatures.
In Spain, meteorologists warned of a new heatwave from Monday until Wednesday, taking temperatures above 40C in the Canary Islands and the southern Andalucía region.
On the island of La Palma, temperatures dropped on Saturday, helping firefighters battle a blaze that burned 5,000 hectares this weekend, forcing the evacuation of 4,000 people.
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