Greece introduced emergency measures on Tuesday to help workers cope with temperatures of up to 43C in a heatwave due to last all week.
Cities opened up air-conditioned public rooms and the labour ministry ordered a pause in outdoor work from 12:00 to 5:00 pm (0900 to 1400 GMT) in most of the country, including Athens.
National weather service EMY has said the heatwave that began on Monday is not expected to ease before Sunday.
Temperatures in the capital and Thessaloniki are forecast to reach 40C on Tuesday, with highs up to 43C in central Greece.
The heatwave is expected to peak in Athens on Thursday with temperatures of up to 41C, the agency said.
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© Agence France-Presse