Four more dead and three missing in 40C heat after Michael Mosley tragedy

Searches are under way for three people missing on Greek islands gripped by extreme heat, in which at least five tourists have died.

Temperatures have exceeded 44C, with one meteorologist warning the current deadly heatwave would “go down in history” as Greece's earliest summer heatwave in more than 100 years, as climate change causes temperatures to rise.

Broadcaster Dr Michael Mosley is among five tourists to have been found dead in recent days, including an American man whose body was found by another tourist on Mathraki, a 74-year-old Dutch tourist who was found by a firefighter drone in a ravine on Samos, a 67-year-old Dutch tourist who suffered a heart attack in Crete, and a 70-year-old French tourist.

Three others are currently missing in the Cyclades. Two French women, aged 64 and 73, have been missing since Friday on the secure island of Sikinos, while retired Los Angeles County deputy sheriff Albert Calibet has not been seen on Amorgos since Tuesday.

Key Points

Travel insurance warning as holidaymakers told to be prepared this summer

10:39 , Vicki Shaw

The idea of ​​something going wrong on holiday isn't something many of us want to contemplate. But sometimes it can happen. A holiday is often among the biggest “one-off” expenses of the year and when you're booking it's important to make sure you're adequately covered, should the worst happen:

Travel insurance warning as holidaymakers told to be prepared this summer

Even healthiest people can face heatstroke complications, warns GP

10:14 , Andy Gregory

Dr Mohit Mandiratta, resident GP on BBC Breakfast, has warned of the complications even the healthiest people can face in the heat. He told The Independent: “Heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and be very serious if not treated immediately.

“It can come on quickly, over minutes, or gradually over hours, so it's important we all stay alert to symptoms.”

Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when your core body temperature reaches 40C or higher and must be treated immediately.

'Distraught' man searching for missing brother on Amorgos

09:59 , Andy Gregory

Retired US police officer Eric Calibet disappeared while out on a solo hike on the island of Amorgos in the southeast of the country on Tuesday afternoon, reports Rich Booth.

Mr Calibet, 59, knew the area although having been visiting the island almost every year for about a decade.

He left for a four-hour hike, from Aegiali to Katapola around 7am.

“We're almost on three days here,” his brother Oliver Calibet told Fox 11 TV in Los Angeles. “There’s no water…I’m very distracted.”

Two die from heatstroke in Cyprus after killer heatwave strikes Greece

09:43 , Andy Gregory

Two people have died from heatstroke in Cyprus, while others are fighting for their lives in hospital, health officials have said.

On Friday, an elderly person died from heatstroke after the weeklong heatwave with reportedly record temperatures for the month of June, with temperatures in excess of 40C.

An 84-year-old woman died a day after her admission to a hospital on Friday, said State Health Services Organization spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou. He said another three elderly patients were in serious condition.

Two die from heatstroke in Cyprus after killer heatwave strikes Greece

Dutch tourist found dead on Greek island

09:28 , Andy Gregory

A missing Dutch tourist was found dead early on Saturday on the eastern Greek island of Samos, local media reported – among the latest in a string of cases in which tourists on Greek islands have died or gone missing. Some, if not all, had set out on hikes in blistering hot temperatures.

The body of the 74-year-old Dutch tourist was found by a Fire Service drone lying face down in a ravine about 300 meters (330 yards) from the spot where he was last observed on Sunday, walking with some difficulty in the blistering heat .

Dutch tourist found dead, two Americans and two French tourists missing in Greece

Acropolis closed to visitors, as temperatures in Crete exceed 44C

09:14 , Andy Gregory

Tourist sites in sweltering Athens and beyond were forced to close on Wednesday and Thursday. The Acropolis shut its doors to visitors after reports of people fainting while waiting in line.

Greek authorities issued a level three heat alert, sending automated warnings to phones that urged people to work from home and avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Chania, a city on the northwest coast of Crete recorded the highest temperature, with the mercury reaching 44.5C on Thursday. The area was also hit by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday morning.

Heatwave is Greece's earliest on record

09:13 , Rich Booth

A favorite holiday destination for much of Europe, Greece has now been hit by the earliest heatwave on record. A heatwave is classified as temperatures exceeding 38C for at least three days.

Greek state TV meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos said the country has seen its earliest reported heatwave: “In the 20th century we never had a heatwave before June 19. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June.”

One of missing French women sent text message to hotel owner

08:50 , Andy Gregory

One of the two French women missing on the Greek island of Sikinos sent a picture to the owner of her hotel saying she had fallen and was not feeling well, the mayor has said.

But Greek authorities were unable to pinpoint the location of her mobile phone signal, only to conclude that she was in the south of the island.

The message, sent on Friday morning, was accompanied by a photo in which the woman appeared to be lying on the ground, French newspaper South West reported.

Rescuers fear the missing tourists are trapped in an area of ​​the remote island – with a population of around 400 people – which is not easily visible to rescuers or mapped out, mayor Vassilis Marakis told broadcaster ANT1.

“The day they went out for a hike it was extremely hot and today when we are working on locating them, strong winds are blowing,” Mr Marakis was quoted as saying: “Some of the paths on our island are mapped, but some others are not.

“We don't even know if the two hikers went for a walk together or separately. However, we are continuously combing the area and firefighters from Syros, as well as volunteers, are participating in the investigations.”

Around a dozen people traveled from Santorini on Sunday to help with the search armed with two drones.

At least four tourists dead and three missing in Greece extreme heat

08:29 , Andy Gregory

Greece is counting the cost of an early heatwave that has taken the lives of several tourists in a preview of the extreme weather it is likely to face this summer.

An urgent warning has been issued to anyone traveling to the country as four holidaymakers have died and more are missing amid record temperatures.

My colleague Rich Booth reports from Greece:

Warning to tourists as four dead and more missing in Greece's record early heatwave

08:19 , Andy Gregory

Good morning, we'll be using this blog to bring you the latest updates on the searches under way in the Greek islands for several tourists missing in extreme heat.