The worst of a heatwave that has claimed 20 lives in southern Europe appeared to be over yesterday, as temperatures in Italy dropped and firefighters brought blazes in Greece under control In southern Italy, where nine people have died, temperatures fell from a high of 48 degrees Celsius (119 deg Fahrenheit) to a more seasonal norm yesterday of 30 to 33 C (86 to 91 F).
Over three days, five people died of heart problems, two perished in fires and two young children died after being left by their parents in the searing heat. In Calabria, in southernmost Italy, 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of farm- and scrubland were devastated by fires which officials believe might have been started deliberately, and 20 villages suffered damage.
The Roman Catholic priest of Roccella Ionica, which has been particularly badly hit, even hinted that the church could suspend religious ceremonies in response to the suspected arsons, which left two dead.
The leader of the regional authority, Mr Vincenzo Gallitto, said the fires must be criminal as it was impossible for so many to start in different places all at the same time.
Although new fires were reported, the situation was under control last night with the arrival of extra firefighting equipment and the temperature drop.
Thousands of hectares of land have similarly gone up in flames in Sardinia and Sicily.
In Greece, firefighters said they had brought a spate of blazes which had threatened the north of Athens under control, although they remained vigilant with the prospect of further fires.
Part of Mount Parnis, one of the green "lungs" of Athens, remained alight because it was inaccessible to aircraft helping with the firefighting effort, but emergency services hoped to have it mastered by midnight.
An 80-year-old man died trapped by flames on the island of Euboea north of Athens. A 60year-old woman had died on Saturday under similar circumstances on Salamis, off the coast near Athens.
The number of fires throughout Greece totalled 180 at one point, fanned by high winds and temperatures that peaked at 45 deg C (113 F). Three remained alight yesterday.
The Greek Prime Minister, Mr Costas Simitis, trying to deflect criticism, praised the emergency services, which he said could not have expected to face so many blazes. After a cabinet crisis meeting, the Interior Minister, Mr Alexander Papadopoulos, announced a series of inquiries into the fires. He said their frequency was "extremely curious".
In Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus, two villages were evacuated after a fire ravaged 5,000 hectares of forest and destroyed several homes.
In Albania, eight people died in three days, including three children who perished Saturday when the haystack they were playing on burst into flames.
A baby of 11 months died after being left under a tree at Shales, near the capital, Tirana. The other four victims were elderly people who died of heart attacks.