Photo: A house is flooded due to heavy rain in Bruzaholm, southern Sweden. Dozens of people across southern Europe have perished in a blistering heatwave while storms whipped the north of the continent and floods claimed four lives in Britain, officials said Wednesday.(AFP/SCANPIX/Mikael Fritzon)June 27, 2007
ATHENS (AFP) - Dozens of people across southern Europe have perished in a blistering heatwave while storms whipped the north of the continent and floods claimed four lives in Britain, officials said Wednesday.
In Greece, authorities said that the longest heatwave in the country's history had killed five people, but media put the toll at at least 10.
"The weather conditions have been unprecedented, we have never had a heat wave lasting for eight straight days," development ministry general secretary Nikos Stefanou told private Flash Radio.
Athens on Tuesday registered temperatures of up to 46.2 degrees Celsius (115.16 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest since recordings there began in 1955, the national weather service said.
"The weather conditions have been unprecedented, we have never had a heat wave lasting for eight straight days," development ministry general secretary Nikos Stefanou told private Flash Radio.
Athens on Tuesday registered temperatures of up to 46.2 degrees Celsius (115.16 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest since recordings there began in 1955, the national weather service said.
