South-eastern Europe is sweltering in an extreme heatwave that has claimed the lives of up to 500 people in Hungary and 30 in Romania.
Hungary has been experiencing one of its hottest summers
Here readers in some of the countries worst affected describe the oppressive conditions.
It's 41C again today here. The climate in the southern half of the country is now officially classified as subtropical, like that of our southern neighbour Greece. There has not been a single cloudy day this month and the temperature has barely dipped below 35C. The last drop of rain was 35 days ago. It has become almost impossible to survive without AC. August is the traditionally hot month here, how hot can it get?
Ivoman, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
I want to breathe. I want the fresh weather back and feel once again that I can walk and breathe as a human. This heatwave is making everything so unbearable and inhumane. I do promise, never ever again will I be angry at the cold winter.
Beysim, Kardjali, Bulgaria
Traditionally July and August are the two hottest months here. However it's already been three or four months of summer weather. I would very much like to see the end of this! I look at the sky every day and feel the way I did while living in Southern California. It may sound good to some people, but heat and no rain does get to you in a country that is supposed to have four seasons and lots of greenery.
Olga Apostolova, Sofia, Bulgaria
It is hotter than ever in South-East Europe. The temperature in Sofia is well above 40C and rising. There is no wind, which while horrible for the people, is at least not enraging the forest fires further. Russian planes have been helping to put out the blazes across the country. AC units are being installed across the capital.
Ivaylo Pentchev, Sofia, Bulgaria
This is our first year living in Bulgaria and we are finding it very difficult to cope with the extreme temperatures. We have had no rain for over 10 weeks and limited water in our village. Even so the positive attitude of our neighbours is very uplifting given that they will have limited resources for the winter months.
Tracy Young, Elhovo, Bulgaria
For more than a week it's been over 40C here in the capital of Romania. We're used to having hot summers but not this hot. Summer began in early April this year with temps in excess of 30C, after a dry and warm winter with hardly any snow. The trees and vegetation look as if it's the end of September or mid October. They have almost all turned yellowish and pale.
Costi Tudoran, Bucharest, Romania
It seems here in Romania we'll have to take temperatures of 40C. People are trying to minimise the time they spend in the open air but it's quite hard. At least in the big cities there are air-conditioned malls. In downtown Cluj, thermometers regularly exceed 43C, given the incredibly slow and heavy traffic and the lack of green spaces.
Andrei Dascalu, Cluj, Romania
It's 41C in Bucharest - in the shade, at the outskirts of the city! Inside the city, above the asphalt, it seems more like 50C. It is far from hot, it is an inferno. In my office the air conditioning cannot cool the heat even at full power. I couldn't imagine being in the shoes of those without any cooling system. The nights are the worst, because at 30C not even three showers can help you have a decent sleep. It is not life anymore. It is just survival
Miruna Figura, Bucharest, Romania
It's been over 40C here every day for around two or three weeks. It's an incredibly dry heat, like walking into a very dry sauna. And it's over 30C at night. Still, people in the UK have our sympathy over the floods.
Edwin, Bucharest, Romania
Another sweltering day in Pecs, southern Hungary. We've got the fans on full blast 24/7. The paddling pool is in the hall. We can't let our toddler out even with lots of factor 40 as she'll get burnt. There's lots of ice-cream in the freezer and a fridge full of fruit juice. This is the second worst summer I can recall in nearly nine years of living here. Roll on winter and some lovely cold snow.
Mark, Pecs, Hungary
I know there are hotter places in the world, and it cannot compare to the devastation of a flood, but 40C is uncommon in Budapest. Air conditioning is a luxury available only to upscale restaurants, libraries, ex-pats and the rich. The majority of people don't have it. Add in that building materials and architecture styles here serve as a heat trap. There is no place to cool down. For people who aren't used to it and have no means to cope with it - yes the heat wave is a very big deal.
Banita, Budapest, Hungary
I'm currently travelling around Eastern Europe and the heat is stifling. I've yet to see temperatures below 37C. The heat doesn't even lay off at night. Our worst experience was in Budapest where the temperature was 43C. The Red Cross were handing out free bottles of mineral water and you couldn't breathe in the heat.
Michelle Smyth, Budapest, Hungary
Macedonia is extremely hot. The Macedonian government is now asking for help from neighbouring countries. Come on Europe, help us.
Tome Trajkovski, Skopje, Macedonia
In Macedonia today it was 46C. It cannot get any worse. Cooling doesn't work, you don't feel any appetite in that heat. It's just unbearable.
Dragica Miteva, Skopje, Macedonia
Today's temperature in Athens, Greece will go up to 45C. It's pretty hot I must say and there is nothing we can do about it. Extreme floods in the UK, extreme hot and dry conditions in the south of Europe - I guess we are experiencing global warming.
Anthony, Athens, Greece
Here in Athens we are experiencing heat of around 45 but I am not convinced that the extreme weather across Europe is down to Co2 emissions. Having said that however, we really do use our air conditioning units rather too often. I have had mosquito nets fitted on all my windows and leave them all open thereby causing a through draft - no need for my units to be turned on. By the way, hats off to the local electricity company - not too many cuts.
Elizabeth Edmondson, Athens, Greece