A significant wildfire has broken out in a northern suburb of Athens, Greece, with residents evacuated and battles against blazes on Crete and other Greek islands

After extreme heat hits many parts of southern Europe in another heatwave, conditions should improve for holidaymakers.

Greece has announced plans to "urgently" overhaul its water management, as temperatures continue to rise during a week-long heatwave.

ATHENS, July 22 (Reuters) - Greece and the wider Balkans sweltered under the third heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, with labourers barred from work, tourists kept away from the ruins and firefighters battling blazes scattered across the arid countryside.

The fires have burned 1,145 hectares (2,830 acres), the equivalent of about 1,600 football pitches, according to European monitoring service Copernicus.

Greece on Wednesday announced plans to "urgently" overhaul its water management as temperatures continued to rise during a week-long heatwave.Temperatures continued to rise Wednesday in a heatwave expected to last until Sunday.

ATHENS (Reuters) -Labourers were pausing outdoor work and tourists seeking shade on Tuesday as Greece sweltered under its third heatwave of the summer and soaring temperatures gripped the wider Balkan region,

Greece is experiencing a severe heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) in numerous locations on Wednesday.