Lightning strikes in Greece start fires, kill cattle amid dangerous heat wave

Lightning strikes in northern Greece killed cattle and started fires during a dayslong heat wave affecting most of southern Europe.

Several fires were reported near the city of Kozani, 280 miles north of Athens following a dry thunderstorm in the area, authorities said Saturday.

Further north, near the Greek town of Florina, officials from a public agricultural insurance organization said lightning strikes killed nine cows at a cattle farm. Several other animals were injured.

Cattle farm owner Alexandros Tsikos told The Associated Press that he found the animals dead in a grazing area next to the cattle barn.

Temperatures eased slightly Saturday but remained as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country, while the risk of wildfires was very high outside Athens and in much of southern Greece.

It's not the first time dangerous heat has impacted the Mediterranean nation this summer. Three tourists visiting Greece died amid extreme temperatures and heat waves in June, CBS News previously reported, including an American man from New York.

Temperatures peaked at around 109 degrees, prompting closures of schools, historical sites and more. Meteorologist Panos Giannopoulos told Greek state television channel ERT that it's the earliest such heat wave. 

 "This heat wave will go down in history. In the 20th century, we never had a heat wave before 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June," Giannopoulos said. 

Extreme heat has been a crisis worldwide. More than 1,300 people making the pilgrimage to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia died as temperatures in the Middle Eastern country reached over 120 degrees. In India, temperatures were consistently above 110 degrees, and at least 100 heat-related deaths have been recorded, CBS News previously reported. Similar conditions were reported across Asia. Like in Greece, the high temperatures came earlier than they typically do. The temperatures were also exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon. 

Across the United States, heat waves have roasted the nation this summer, causing transit issues, illnesses and more. Las Vegas saw temperatures of over 115 degrees for nearly a week straight in July, and much of the Southwest has experienced dangerously high temperatures. California's famous Death Valley reached 129 degrees. 

In:
• Weather Forecast
• Greece
• Fire
• Heat Wave