A kite-surfer practising his sport at Ramat Poleg beach in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya during a heatwave, amid the easing of coronavirus restrictions, on Monday.

Across the Mediterranean's tantalising beaches, a record heatwave has hit countries just as they cautiously ease lockdowns.

In Israel, temperatures hit 40 deg C on Sunday and Monday in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, but are forecast to fall through the week to a cool 22 deg C by next Sunday.

Several cities cancelled school classes because of the difficulty of adhering to the face mask requirement amid the heat.

Under the Covid-19 restrictions, Israeli beaches are out of bounds, but the authorities appear to be turning a blind eye during the heatwave, which has left a man dead and another in a serious condition.