Forecasters are warning the all-time temperature record of 48.8C, which was set in August 2021, could be threatened with the mercury set to reach those heights once again in Sicily and Sardinia.
Sunburnt Britons were basking in the sunshine in the tourist hotspot Benidorm while others sought refuge from the searing heat by having drinks at nearby bars.
European tourist hotspots have been rammed with holidaymakers this week - despite temperatures soaring into the high 30s amid a deadly heatwave sweeping across the continent.