Greece and Turkey continue to battle major wildfires amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures reached 42.4C in central Greece at the weekend, with emergency services battling fires in the Peloponnese area of Athens and on the popular tourist islands of Kytheria and Crete.

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.

Greece continued to battle raging wildfires for a second straight day Sunday, as blazes destroyed homes and forced evacuations, while reinforcements

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

Athens monuments will be closed to the public during afternoon hours this weekend as Greece is faced with a prolonged heatwave.

Greece is facing a severe heatwave, with temps reaching up to 44°C. Read on for closures, travel tips, fines and safety guidelines.

A week-long heatwave in Greece that began on Monday is now expected to last more than a week, the country's weather service said as temperatures on Friday neared 46C.

On Saturday (July 27), the temperature levels will reach 43C, while they will again rise to 44C on Sunday (July 28), the maps have suggested. The extreme weather conditions have brought the popular tourist destination to a standstill with authorities scrambling to take preventive measures.