Greece missing tourists latest: Four more dead and two missing in extreme heat after Michael Mosley tragedy

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.

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.

A favourite holiday destination for much of Europe, Greece has now been hit by the earliest heatwave on record. A heatwave is classed 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 19 June. We have had several in the 21st century, but none before 15 June.”

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 Sud Ouest 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 travelled from Santorini on Sunday to help with the search armed with two drones.

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 travelling to the country as four holidaymakers have died and more are missing amid record temperatures.

My colleague Rich Booth reports from Greece: