An intense and prolonged period of heat is sweeping across Europe, with meteorologists warning temperatures in Italy could soon surpass 48.8 degrees Celsius - the highest temperature recorded in European history, writes CNBC.

An anticyclone known as Cerberus, named after the three-headed monster that features in Dante’s Inferno, is expected to send temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey in the coming days.

In Italy, meanwhile, temperatures could soon reach as high as 48 degrees Celsius on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. A red alert warning has been issued for 10 cities nationwide, including Rome, Florence and Bologna.

The hottest temperature thought to have ever been recorded in Europe was 48.8 degrees near the ancient city of Syracuse on the coast of Sicily in August 2021. Scientists at the European Space Agency said that record could be broken again in the coming days.