The Environment Agency's weather service said evenings would provide little relief as temperatures would not drop below 20 degrees at night.

High fire alert has been issued for the entire coastal region of Primorsko, where the heatwave is expected to persist through next week.

Meteorologists have been busy speculating whether the 50-year temperature record would finally be broken.

The highest temperature measured in Slovenia so far was 40.7 degrees in Krško on 5 July 1952.

The record in the capital Ljubljana, 38.8 degrees was measured on 6 July 1950.