A three-hour strike staged by the electricity workers' union worsened the situation. Some villages and hotels on the island reportedly suffered power blackouts amid the scorching heatwave.

The workers have been protesting against a government plan for an offshore unit to process liquid natural gas (LNG). They argue the technology is untested and the authorities should focus exclusively on their blueprint for an onshore terminal.

The heatwave have already claimed two lives on the holiday island. Some others were hospitalized due to heatstroke, local media reported.

Firefighters have been battling two bushfires since Tuesday morning in the southern district of Limassol.