Temperatures reached 42.4°C in the town of Klina, about 47km west of Pristina, on July 25, beating the previous high of 40.8°C recorded in 1987.

Last month was also the hottest July since records began, the Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo said in a statement online published late yesterday.

The temperatures were “unprecedented in the country’s climate history and indicate a major deviation from the multi-year average for this month”, it said yesterday.

“The passing of this value after 38 years indicates a rising trend of warmth, not as an isolated phenomenon but as part of a long-term process of climate transformation.”

It also said that the July average was usually in the range of 30°C to 35°C.

The confirmation of last month’s record comes as Europe swelters through another heatwave this week.

In the Balkans, several countries are on alert for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to climb above 40°C in parts of the region.

Destructive blazes in Albania have forced evacuations and threatened homes as hundreds of firefighters and military personnel battle wildfires.