The fire stoked by heat continued to burn through southern Italy, a day after the temperature of 48.8 degrees Centigrade was recorded in the country, which the scientists believe to be the highest ever temperature in Europe's history.

Wednesday's record temperature, which still needs to be verified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), was reported close to the city of Syracuse, in the southeast of the island of Sicily, as an anticyclone nicknamed “Lucifer” after the devil swept in.

“If the data is validated, it could become the highest value ever recorded in Europe, beating the previous record of 48 degrees measured in Athens on July 10, 1977,” meteorologist Manuel Mazzoleni wrote on 3Bmeteo.com, a specialist website.

Temperatures are expected to remain high on Friday and over the weekend.

Firefighters said on Twitter they had battles more than 500 blazes in Sicily and Calabria overnight, employing five planes to try to douse the flames from above.

They said the situation was now “under control” on the island.