Forest and bush fires are also spreading through Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Romania. Fire officials say some of these appear to have been started deliberately. An area stretching from Romania in the north to eastern Mediterranean countries like Lebanon has been ravaged by temperatures in the mid 40s Celsius. So far the heat-related death toll for the region is believed to be about 23. But in Croatia alone officials fear the heat may be responsible for many other deaths during the week.
Death toll rises Romania has so far fared the worst, with nine people confirmed dead.
Bulgaria saw eight heat-related deaths. Four people have died in Greece, while one elderly man died in Macedonia and another in Bosnia. In Kosovo, K-For peacekeeping troops have been issued with special instructions to prevent heat exhaustion while on patrol. Soldiers also joined local firefighters in battling a series of forest fires, although their efforts were hampered by a lack of water and power. Meanwhile in Pristina, people defied warnings by city authorities to stay indoors between 0800 in the morning and 1700 in the afternoon to escape the effects of the heat.