Photos: Heat wave bakes southern Europe, sparking warnings to stay inside

Italian health officials intensified heat warnings Monday as southern Europe began a brutally hot week with temperatures expected to top 40 Celsius — or 104 Fahrenheit — on a continent already sizzling under the sun and overburdened by tourists. Above: Tourist flock to the eternal city while scorching temperatures grip central Italy with Rome at the top of the red alert list as one of the hottest cities in the country.

The health ministry urged regions to beef up house-call services so older people don't have to go out if they need medical care and to set up dedicated heat stations at hospitals to treat emergency cases. Above: Tourists in Rome.

The ministry also issued 10 recommendations to protect elderly people, the sick and pets from the heat, urging people to stay indoors during the hottest hours, drink at least 1.5 liters (nearly half a gallon) of water a day and refrain from strenuous exercise at peak daylight times. Above: Tourists rest on a bench in Rome.

The culprit is a high-pressure anticyclone dubbed Cerberus — the multi-headed dog that guards gates to the underworld in Greek mythology. The third heat wave in a month was expected to affect much of the Mediterranean and last until Wednesday. Above: A worker cools off while working in a street during a heatwave in Sevilla, in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.

The mercury in Rome hit 39 C (102 F) by 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Italy's capital was expected to be even hotter on Tuesday, topping 40 C (104 F) as were several other cities, in particular in Sardinia and Sicily. Above: A boy cools down at the Barcaccia fountain in front of the Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti (Spanish Steps) in Rome.

Power outages were hitting parts of Rome as electric grids suffered under heavier demand from air conditioners as people sought relief. Italian farm lobby Coldiretti, meanwhile, issued an alarm about the plight of domestic and farm animals, noting that cows are producing around 10% less milk as a result of the heat. Above: A woman cools off at Fontana della Barcaccia at the Spanish Steps.

Elsewhere in Spain, a wildfire that started Saturday on the Canary island of La Palma continued to burn out of control Monday, although authorities say weaker winds and cooler temperatures in the area are helping firefighters combat it. The blaze has burned some 4,600 hectares (11,300 acres) of mostly woody hill land and some 20 houses and buildings. Above: A helicopter carries water to extinguish the fire in Jurado ravine above the Tijarafe municipality, on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma.

More than 4,000 residents were evacuated from their homes Saturday but were allowed to return as of late Sunday. Spain’s Aemet weather agency said the heat wave this week “will affect a large part of the countries bordering the Mediterranean" with temperatures in some southern areas of Spain exceeding 42 C (107 F). The agency says it expects temperatures to drop sometime Wednesday. Above: Tourist photographs the Tijarafe forest fire, on the Canary Island of La Palma.

Spokesman Rubén del Campo said an anticyclone is pushing a hot mass of air from Africa toward Spain and other Mediterranean countries. The agency predicts that with the heat and very dry air, the risk of wildfires will skyrocket. Above: Smoke billowing from forest fire is seen near Tijarafe municipality, on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma.

Greece got a brief respite from the heat on Monday, with opening hours returning to normal at the ancient Acropolis and other sites. But two wildfires threatened homes in areas outside Athens, where winds of up to 70 kph (45 mph) made the flames difficult to contain. Above: Wildfire rages in Kouvaras area near Lagonisi, some 35 kilometeres from Athens.

Most of southern Greece, including greater Athens, was at an elevated level of alert for fire risk, while more extreme temperatures are expected starting Thursday. Above: Flames approach a house as a wildfire burns in Saronida, near Athens, Greece.