Ammon News - Temperatures in several areas in Greece on Monday exceeded 40 degrees Celsius for the first time this year, with the country experiencing its first heatwave.

Weather website meteo.gr said the daily maximum temperature had exceeded 40C at 24 stations around the country, with the highest at 41.1C in the Peloponnese and in central Greece.

The heatwave is expected to last until Wednesday. Rainy weather is forecast for Thursday.

It is unusual for temperatures to rise so late in July in Greece. Rain spells in June and strong winds this month kept heatwaves at bay this season while heat record after record was broken across most of Europe.

Meteo.gr has said it was the third most delayed 40-degree recording since 2011, after July 20 in 2015 and July 30 in 2013.