New heat wave scorches Greece with mercury set to hit 42C

ATHENS

A new heat wave, arriving from Western Europe, is scorching Greece with temperatures forecast to rise to 42C (107F).

On Monday the mercury is set to hit 38-40 (100.4-104F) throughout the mainland, reaching as high as 41C in the east, said the national meteorological services.

On Tuesday, temperatures will peak at 42C (107.6F) on the eastern mainland, it added.

The temperature will stay as high as 42C on the eastern mainland while a drop is expected in the western part.

Starting Thursday, the temperature is set to drop up to 7-8 degrees Celsius across the country.

The country’s Labor Ministry ordered a work stoppage, in effect from midday to 5 pm (0900-1400GMT), for outdoor manual labor and food delivery services during the heatwave.