STORY: The Rusanda salt lake in northern Serbia has dried up for the first time as the Balkans and much of Europe continue to swelter in a prolonged heatwave this week.

Most of the countries in the Balkans are expecting high temperatures of around 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

Vladimir Djurdjevic is a Belgrade-based meteorologist.

He says climate change could make such super-hot summers more frequent.

"The water supply is under pressure because the heatwave is accompanied by a drought, and people use more water at such high temperatures. As a result, we can already see that in many cities in Serbia, people are having problems with their water supply."

The Serbian salt lake is known for the healing properties of its mud.

A 72-year-old resident told Reuters the area was once a marshland, but now there is no marsh.

On Wednesday, Serbia's public health institute declared dangerous conditions in 10 municipalities.

Elsewhere in the Balkans, North Macedonia and Albania were battling with forest fires.

And Croatia saw the highest-ever temperatures in the Adriatic Sea.

Searing temperatures have also impacted countries like Greece, France, Spain, Poland, and Ukraine.