Record High Temperatures - Heatstroke Warning

Medical authorities have warned of increased dangers of heatstroke and dehydration in the face of  record high temperatures that reached 46 degrees Celsius today.

It was the hottest day ever recorded in Cyprus, said a spokesman for the Meteorological Service, adding that the last record was set in 1956 when the temperature reached 44.4 degrees Celsius.

Emergency rooms in hospitals around the island have been put on alert to expect patients suffering from dehydration and heatstroke. People are advised to drink plenty of water and stay out of the heat as much as possible.

The heat has made it extremely difficult to battle a fire which broke out in the area of Athienou and is being fought by UN forces and firemen as it raged today in the buffer zone. No one has been hurt in the fire which has not yet threatened homes in the area.