Image copyrightReutersImage caption Temperatures reached 40C in parts of southern France on Thursday
People across Europe are searching for ways to keep cool amid soaring temperatures.
A heatwave – caused by a plume of hot air from the Sahara, according to meteorologists – is sweeping parts of the continent, with Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic seeing their highest ever June temperatures on Wednesday, and intense heat in the southwest on Thursday.
As temperatures topped 40C (104F) in some parts of northern Spain, the region of Catalonia’s worst wildfires in 20 years seemed likely to spread rapidly.
It looks likely it will get hotter still, with possible record temperatures in France in the coming days.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption The fire near the Catalan town of La Torre de l’Espanyol has already affected at least 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) Image copyrightAFPImage caption Firefighters have been battling the blazes since Wednesday Image copyrightEPAImage caption Forecasts of 40C+ temperatures in northern Italy were not quite realised, but people and animals alike still needed to cool off Image copyrightAFPImage caption A child cools off under a fountain in Montpellier, southern France Image copyrightGoogleImage caption The Spanish capital Madrid avoided the hotter temperatures further north Image copyrightAFPImage caption An animal keeper ensures South American tapir “Bambou” is protected from the rays in Germany Image copyrightAFPImage caption A jaguar took a plunge in a pool in Bordeaux-Pessac zoo in southwestern France on Wednesday Image copyrightEPAImage caption A man takes a picturesque sunset dip in Lake Geneva Image copyrightAFPImage caption In Rome, umbrellas proved a popular way to hide from the soaring temperatures Image copyrightAFPImage caption In the French Riviera city of Nice, temperatures hit 33C on Monday Image copyrightAFPImage caption A polar bear cools down with frozen fruit at Hannover Zoo in Germany Image copyrightDPAImage caption Like many in Europe, this man in the German city of Straubing went for a swim on Wednesday as temperatures continued to rise Image copyrightEPAImage caption A young boy puts a fountain to good use in Hungary Image copyrightAFPImage caption A couple swim past a model boat at the Schwarzachtal lakes in southern Germany Image copyrightEPAImage caption The Prague public soak up the sun
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