In cities, those venturing out at all doused themselves in fountains while others sought out pools, the sea or shade in hopes of relief from the heat wave caused by Cerberus. The high-pressure anticyclone coming from the south was named after the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology who guarded the gates to the underworld.
In Greece's capital, where the temperature was forecast to reach 41 C, officials decided to keep the sun-baked Acropolis monument closed from noon to 5:30 p.m. as they did Friday. In the northwestern cities of Edirne, Krklareli and Tekirdag, 48 people were taken to emergency rooms with symptoms of heat stroke in the past two days, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
In downtown Warsaw, and in other cities, makeshift hose fountains were arranged to let people and their pets cool off. Police issued warnings about not leaving children or pets unattended inside cars.