EXTREME weather ranging from midsummer snow to a prolonged heatwave continued to wreak havoc across Europe yesterday, as some holiday-makers were advised to flee forest fires while others strapped snow chains on to their cars.

In Switzerland, a cold snap hit many Alpine regions, including the southern San Bernardino pass, which was closed yesterday to allow snowploughs to clear a 12-mile stretch of road.

Forecasters said freezing temperatures in the mountains would bring further snow above 5900ft today, with temperatures in the lower regions struggling to reach 13C.

Meanwhile, firefighters across Greece remained on heightened alert last night after wildfires swept across 25,000 acres of land and destroyed 200 homes following a prolonged heatwave in the Balkans.

And a heat wave on Cyprus claimed another life, taking to five the number of heat-related deaths there since the weekend.

A 62-year-old Greek-American, Louise-Marie Roussou, suffered a heart attack most probably brought on by a heatstroke, a post-mortem examination concluded yesterday. She went into a coma after collapsing in her daughter's home in Larnaca.

The week-long heatwave in Greece is expected to peak today when temperatures reach 43C, raising fears that the hot, dry weather could spark new blazes or rekindle old ones.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said: ''At this moment all fires are under control in all areas.

''The front on Samos remains the biggest problem, but it is abating and is under complete control.''

Around 1010 fires have broken out in Greece so far this month, and the army, air force and coastguard have been mobilised in an attempt control the situation. Around 5000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft have also been called in.

An extra 200 firefighters were airlifted to Samos yesterday to join the 750 already tackling the blaze, which has claimed the life of a 95-year-old woman. A further 25 people have been killed across the Balkans.

Residents fear the fire could damage tourism on the popular holiday island, which is known as the birthplace of mathematician Pythagorus.

Around 1000 Dutch vacationers have been advised by tour operators to leave Samos, and 60% of tourist bookings are understood to have been cancelled.

The evacuations will be paid for by Calamiteitenfonds, a Dutch foundation that insures tourists who have booked through an affiliated travel agency.

Mr Reppas said he respected the holiday-makers' decision, but added: ''I must say that no one is in danger, especially tourists who are on the island.''

A state of emergency was also in effect in the central Greek province of Fthiotida yesterday, where firefighters have extinguished fires raging across more than 10,000 acres of forest and scrub, destroying at least 120 homes.

However, there is hope of the situation abating over the next few days as temperatures drop into the high 20s or low 30s, according to the national weather service.

''We expect temperatures by Friday to be lower than average for the season due to colder weather from northern Europe,'' said a spokesman.

The fires in Greece follow the declaration of a state of emergency in south-east Bulgaria on Monday, where a fire stretching for 63 miles swept through rural areas and destroyed at least 30 houses.

Around 1500 fires have been sparked in Bulgaria since July 3 as a heatwave sweeps across the Balkans, destroying around 23,000 acres of forest and cereal crops.

High temperatures and drought have also been affecting Cyprus, Turkey, Kosovo, Romania, and Croatia, where a fire near the country's second largest city, Split, destroyed two factories and temporarily closed part of a main road.

Meanwhile, unseasonably high temperatures in Italy, France and Germany yesterday gave way to snow and torrential rain.

German farmers were forced to bring forward their grain harvests last month after soaring temperatures made the country one of the hottest places in Europe, but recent bursts of rain have halved temperatures in southern and western parts.

In Italy, Rome and the Sardinian capital Cagliari have been hit by torrential rain despite temperature highs of 50C just seven days ago.

Yesterday, violent storms slowed traffic in Milan, while the Stelvio pass near Bormio was covered in up to 8ins of snow.

Temperatures in most parts of France have also been five or six degrees below average with snow falling as low as 4500ft in the Alps.