NICOSIA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus's public health services issued an orange warning as a heat wave caused temperatures to soar to 45 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The Meteorological Service said Sunday's temperature of 45 degrees Celsius was one of the highest recorded for several decades and was also the highest for Europe and the Middle East. Only Qatar matched Cyprus's highest temperature.
The public health services advised people not to expose themselves to the direct rays of the sun.
As Sunday is a holiday, thousands of Nicosia residents flocked to seaside cities and swimming pools.
However, seaside cities, with average temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius, reported temperatures of between 37 and 42 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The Meteorological Service said the high temperatures were caused by hot air which also affects some Balkan countries, mostly Greece and Bulgaria.
It said the hot air mass is gradually moving away. A temperature of 43 degrees Celsius was predicted for Monday, with cooler weather setting in as of Tuesday.
