Heatwave returns this week

After a pleasant few days of cooling northerly winds, a new heatwave is rolling into Greece this week and is expected to be hotter and longer than previous spells of unseasonably warm temperatures, meteorologists have warned.

According to the National Hellenic Meteorological Service, temperatures will start inching up on Monday on the mainland, reaching daytime highs of 35-37 degrees Celsius in western parts, as continued northerly winds keep them down in the low-30s in the east and in the Aegean.

By Tuesday and Wednesday, however, thermometers on the mainland, including the capital, will be reaching as high as 41C, with the heatwave spreading across the country at similar levels through the end of the week. Scattered storms and showers are also forecast, mainly in northwestern Greece.