Tourists in Santorini cool down watching sunset

Tourists on the island of Santorini gathered to cool off and watch the sunset on Tuesday (June 23), one of the most popular pastimes on the island of whitewashed houses against a volcanic backdrop.

Tourist Alysha Dennis from Sydney, Australia, travelling with her daughter Lana, said they had the sunset on their bucket list.

Visitors worked up a sweat walking along the cobblestone streets and stair-cased hillsides on the sun-drenched island, as the hot summer weather in the country begins to climb.

Although the sweltering temperatures hitting western Europe have not reached Greece, the country is plagued by heatwaves every summer, and for some, like tourist Peter Homkanen from Finland it was hot enough on the streets of Santorini, who said he had been following the weather in the rest of Europe.

Tourist Kevin Fox from Ireland said he was going to cool off with a cool beer to deal with climbing the hills of the island in the heat.  

Forty people have drowned in France over recent days as a heatwave swept across much of Europe. Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Spain were also sweltering in extreme heat.

Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization, making such prolonged heat episodes increasingly likely.

Camera: Stamos Prousalis, Editing: Stamos Prousalis, Production: Deborah Kyvrikosaios/Reuters