Updated at 5.50pm with Met Office warning
The Uffizi Gallery art museum in the Italian city of Florence has shut its doors to the public amid a heatwave because of problems with its air conditioning system.
The Renaissance art capital has a reputation for being one of Italy's hottest cities every summer, but a heatwave which has been gripping the nation for days, on top of a weeks-long drought, is making it harder to stay cool.
Temperatures in Florence hit at least 39C today, while Rome temperatures this week were around 38C.
Museum director Eike Schmidt said that because the level of the Arno River, which flows through Florence, was so low the museum could not draw as much water from it as it usually does for its industrial-scaled cooling system.
Standing outside the galleries as tourists waited in line for ticket reimbursements, Mr Schmidt told SkyTG24 TV the cooling system was still working well enough to keep its masterpieces climate-controlled and avoid damage.
But the heat generated by "even a few hundred people" visiting the museum could tax the system to the point it would not be able to guarantee the cool temperatures needed to safeguard the paintings, he said.
The Uffizi had arranged for trucks to bring in enough water to make sure the Uffizi's air conditioning would be up and running on Saturday for the public to return, he said.
Swaths of southern and eastern Europe sweltered in temperatures above 40°C today in a heat wave nicknamed "Lucifer" that has fanned forest fires, triggered weather warning alerts and damaged crops.
Italy and the Balkans were worst affected, though areas as far north as southern Poland also basked in abnormally hot temperatures, and European weather hub Meteoalarm issued its highest grade "red" warnings for 10 countries.
At least two people have died from the heat - one in Romania and one in Poland - and many more have been taken to hospital suffering from sunstroke and other heat-related conditions.
In Malta, the temperature feels like 43°C and will only feel like the high 30s by next Thursday (see below)
Met Office says lower temperatures in sight
Today the mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius, while the 'feels like' temperature hovered around 42 degrees Celsius, the Met Office said.
This heatwave is expected to last until early next week. On Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to drop to a more agreeable 35 degrees Celsius, staying at this level at least until Thursday. Over the coming days, the UV index will measure between 9 and 10, making it particularly important to use a good sun cream with a high SPF.
To minimise the impact of this hot weather, it is advisable to:
• Drink plenty of water, even when not feeling thirsty
• Avoid drinks containing alcohol, sugars, and caffeine, as these can have a dehydrating effect
• Avoid or limit exposure to direct sunlight, particularly between 11:00 and 16:00
• Avoid dark-coloured clothing and synthetic materials
• Travel early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler
The Meteorological Office issued a weather warning for today, and will be renewing this warning according to whether the need arises. To stay updated, you can follow https://www.maltairport.com/weather/.