THESSALONIKI, Greece — Lightning strikes in northern Greece have killed livestock and sparked fires during a days-long heat wave that has affected much of southern Europe.

On Saturday, authorities reported multiple fires near the town of Kozani, 450 kilometers (280 miles) north of Athens, after a dry thunderstorm hit the area.

Further north, near the Greek city of Florina, officials from a public agricultural insurance organization reported that nine cows were killed by lightning strikes at a livestock farm and several other animals were injured.

Alexandros Tsikos, a livestock farm owner, told the Associated Press news agency that he found the dead animals in a grazing area next to the cattle shed.

Temperatures dropped slightly on Saturday, but in parts of the country they remained as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Outside Athens and in much of southern Greece, the risk of forest fires was very high.