Macedonian authorities on Monday raised its heat wave alert level to yellow, as temperatures in the tiny western Balkan country soared to over 40 degrees Celsius.
The alert was accompanied by a warning for the residents, especially those with health problems, to be careful and not to take unnecessary trips outdoors between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Macedonian Ministry of health also issued a statement, asking people to take precautions before venturing out.
The ministry said that it would make all its facilities ready for possible increase of patients as a result of the hot weather.
In Skopje, the country's capital, mayor Koce Trajanovski joined teams of the Red Cross in distributing bottled water to passersby.
Macedonia is known for its hot and dry summers. The current heat wave is still not as severe as that of the summer of 2007 when temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius.
The Hydro-Meteorological Institute of Macedonia forecast that the heat wave would linger on for the next few days.
