France is bracing itself for another heatwave this week as its national weather service revised the country’s all-time record-high temperature to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees F), which was recorded last month in southern France.
Overheating tourists in Paris and Berlin plunged into fountains and ornamental ponds to keep cool while zoo keepers in the Netherlands handed out food caked in ice to look after thirsty animals.
The southwestern French city of Bordeaux saw its highest ever temperature since records began of 41.2 degrees Celsius , beating the previous high of 40.7C registered in August 2003, weather service Meteo-France said.
Forecasters predicted new temperature highs in a string of countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 40 degrees Celsius for the first time on Thursday.
An all-time record temperature for the French capital Paris, whose current record has stood at 40.4 degrees Celsius (104.7 degrees Fahrenheit) for over seventy years is also expected.
People cool down at the fountains of Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower, during a heatwave in Paris, France, 23 July 2019. According to forecast, France will experience high temperatures across the country. EPA-EFE/IAN LANGSDON
