Southeastern Europe continued to experience an intense heat wave, with temperatures soaring past 38 degrees Celsius.

Several people lost their lives in Greece and Cyprus, in heat-related deaths. The Greek Health Ministry reported that three pensioners aged 76, 84 and 103 died of medical conditions aggravated by the extreme heat. A 72-year-old woman died of heatstroke in Cyprus, where temperatures reached 41 degrees Celsius.

In Italy, forest fires have been springing on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as well as in the southern part of the mainland. There were reports of a fire in Greece as well, north of Athens. Greece has seen temperatures reaching 41.6 degrees.

Residents of Bari, a city in southern Italy, experienced temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius, while the Sicilian capital of Palermo hit 42 degrees.

Officials reported that almost 30 people died last week because of the heat wave in Romania, Serbia and Albania.

In Antalya, Turkey, a sought-after Mediterranean resort, residents and tourists were not allowed to enter the forests so as to prevent possible fires, according to CNN-Turk television.

Sicily’s lemons are in danger of boiling in the sun, forcing farmers to harvest them much earlier than usual in order to salvage them. Several factories, including Fiat, closed down in Italy on Monday because the workers refused to work in the open air.

Experts predicted the extreme temperatures would last until Wednesday.