Heat to peak on Saturday, rains on Sunday

The temperature will rise again in Greece on Saturday, reaching 40 degrees Celsius on the mainland, while rain is expected in some northern parts of the country on Sunday, weather forecasters at the National Observatory of Athens's meteo.gr service said.

At noon, the temperature on the mainland will reach 38 to 40 degrees, and three to four degrees lower on the islands. Winds up to 5 on the Beaufort scale will blow from westerly directions.

The heatwave will continue to affect Attica and Thessaloniki with temperatures reaching 37-38 degrees.

Scattered rain is forecast for mountainous regions of Macedonia and Thrace after midday on Saturday, continuing through Sunday. Temperatures will range from 20 to 37 degrees Celsius.