A major, record-breaking heatwave is gripping northern and central Europe, affecting an estimated 150 million people with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius.
The extreme event, which started in the Iberian Peninsula, has now shattered national all-time heat records. Germany set a new high of 41.5 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive day. Denmark and the Czech Republic also recorded their highest-ever temperatures.
The heatwave has been linked to hundreds of deaths across the region. In France, drowning fatalities have spiked, while Spain's monitoring system has recorded over 300 deaths potentially related to the heat.
Meteorologists attribute the persistent high temperatures to a "heat dome" effect, where a slow-moving area of high pressure traps and compresses warm air. Scientists state that climate change is "unequivocally" to blame, noting such an event this early in summer would have been nearly impossible 50 years ago.
While relief is expected to move east later this week, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius are forecast to continue in parts of Europe into Monday.