A fierce heatwave is expected to bring extreme conditions across large swathes of southern Europe in the next few days.
Temperatures are expected to surpass 40°C in parts of France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey.
In much of the country, Spain has been sweltering for days in temperatures of up to 45°C.
In Italy, the record European temperature of 48.8°C registered near Syracuse, Sicily, in Aug 2021, could be exceeded in the coming days. A red alert warning has been issued for ten cities, including Rome, Florence, and Bologna.
This week, the impact of extreme summer heat has been highlighted by research that said as many as 61,000 people may have died in Europe's sweltering heatwaves last summer.
The ISGlobal Institute in Barcelona said Italy had the most deaths attributable to the heat, with 18,010, while Spain had 11,324 and Germany 8,173.
