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Temperatures have soared to 46C in Spain as an “extreme heatwave” continues to grip much of Europe, triggering a series of weather alerts across the continent.
The continent is enduring its first major heatwave of the summer, with two deaths linked to extreme heat in Italy and hundreds of schools closed in France.
The record-high temperature of 46C was reported in the town of El Granado in southern Spain on Saturday, according to Spain’s national weather service, with the mercury also set to reach 40C in Paris.
Dozens of heat warnings are in place across France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and well as the Balkans, according to weather aggregator MeteoAlarm.
“Extreme heat is no longer a rare event – it has become the new normal,” UN secretary general Antonio Guterres warned. “The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous – no country is immune.”
Here, The Independent has put together a full list of European countries currently in the grip of a heatwave and the current advice being given to locals and tourists.
Spain
There were 118 heat alerts in place across Spain as of midday local time on Tuesday, according to MeteoAlarm.
These cover virtually the entire country, with the exception of areas of the south east coast such as Almeria and swathes of the north east such as Oviedo.
The mercury will rise above 40C for the next three days in Seville, where night-time temperatures will remain at around 25C until Thursday morning.
Doctors have expressed alarm at the combination of hot days and uncomfortably warm nights, which can place lethal stress on the human body.
Local authorities have urged anyone in an area affected by a severe high temperature warning to take precautions and check the weather forecast. The warnings also state that damage to properties may occur, while vulnerable people are at particular risk.
Meanwhile, there are also warnings for storms and heavy rainfall in eastern regions of the country including inland areas of Valencia and Catalonia, where as much as 20mm of rain could fall.
Italy
There are heat alerts covering eight of Italy’s regions: Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Puglia, Sardinia, Tuscany and Umbria, according to MeteoAlarm.
Temperatures of up to 42C have been forecast in parts of Italy, according to the monitoring website. Two people have already died in the country due to weather.
In Bologna a 47-year-old died after falling ill on a construction site while a 70-year-old man was reported drowned during flash flooding at a tourist resort to the west of Turin.
A warning for thunderstorms is also in place for the central Italian region of Emilia-Romagna and the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
France
There are several heat alerts in place across France as of midday on Tuesday. The French capital, Paris, is forecast to reach a blistering 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Météo-France has placed multiple departments under its highest red alert, with the Paris region experiencing the most severe impact. A red alert means that the weather is “very dangerous” and major damage and accidents are likely.
The Education Ministry has confirmed that over 1,300 schools are expected to be partially or fully closed on Tuesday as the country battles a severe heatwave.
The only areas of France that are not covered by a heatwave are the north east tip, such as Brest and Saint-Brieuc.
The extreme heat also raised the risk of field fires as farmers in France, the European Union's biggest grain producer, start harvesting this year's crop.
Some farmers were working through the night to avoid harvesting during peak temperatures in the afternoon. In the Indre region of central France, which has seen a spate of field fires since late June, authorities banned field work between 2pm and 6pm.
Greece
There are 14 weather alerts in place across Greece. Last week, a large wildfire broke out south of Athens on Thursday, forcing evacuations and road closures near the ancient Temple of Poseidon.
Strong winds spread the flames, damaging homes and sending smoke across the sky.
Belgium
Belgium is also experiencing unusually high temperatures, with MeteoAlarm showing that orange heatwave warnings are in place in areas including Bruges and Antwerp.
Temperatures will reach 32C in the capital Brussels on Tuesday, soaring to around 33C in Bruges, according to the Met Office.
Portugal
In Portugal, 18 heat alerts are in place including in the capital Lisbon, Braga and Faro.
A temperature reading in Mora, about 60 miles east of Lisbon, turned up a suspected record-high June temperature of 46.6C on Sunday.
Into this week, temperatures are set to cool slightly between 31C and 34C, according to Portugal’s national weather service.
Netherlands
Temperatures will reach around 32C in parts of the Netherlands on Tuesday. There are 28 heat alerts in place across the usually mild country, including in Amsterdam and the Hague.
The country's meteorological institute warned of “persistent heat” and for people to be aware of the unusual weather.
“[There] are some health risks amongst vulnerable people like the elderly and very young are possible,” it warned.
Germany
In Germany, temperatures are set to reach a sweltering 37C on Wednesday. There are 122 weather warnings in place across the country, including
Germany’s main forecaster, Deutscher Wetterdienst, warned that “severe heat stress” is expected in the coming days. “[There will be] less cooling at night, especially in the densely built-up urban areas of Berlin,” they said.
Austria
By Thursday, temperatures will soar to 34C. There are hundreds of heat alerts in place across the country, according to MeteoAlarm.
Czechia
In Czechia, temperatures will reach 33C on Wednesday. There are six heat warnings in place across the country this week.
Luxembourg
Two heat alerts are in place here. Temperatures could reach 34C by Wednesday.
Switzerland
Temperatures will reach 34C on Wednesday, according to the Met Office. There are a few weather alerts in place.
