Ammon News - Greece, which was spared the record hot weather that ravaged most of Europe in June, is finally bracing for its first heatwave of the year.

Maximum temperatures in Thessaly, parts of the Peloponnese and the greater Athens area "may hover around or exceed 40C" (104F), with a fall likely on Thursday, prominent meteorologist Theodoros Kolydas said Sunday on Facebook.

He said data for Monday to Wednesday showed that "we are not dealing with a simple warm spell, but with a heat episode with heatwave characteristics, mainly over the mainland."

Weather website meteo.gr on Saturday said the first measurement over 40C for the season had been recorded in the northwestern town of Konitsa, with a reading of 40.4C.

National weather service EMY on Sunday forecast temperatures of 40C to 41C on Monday and Tuesday in mainland Greece.

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