Britain, France face hottest day as Europe fires rage
Britain and France were in the grip of a fierce heatwave on Monday facing record temperatures as southwest Europe wilted under a scorching sun and ferocious wildfires devoured more forests.
Forecasters in Britain warned of havoc in a country unprepared for the onslaught of extreme heat that authorities said was putting lives at risk.
Temperatures climbed to 37.5 Celsius (99.5 Fahrenheit) at Kew Gardens in southwest London by 3:00 pm (1400 GMT), nudging towards the country's all-time record of 38.7C.
Air traffic was suspended at Luton airport, north of London, due to "defects" on the runway
Meteorologists said the 40C mark could be breached for the first time by Tuesday, with climate change blamed and predictions of more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather in years to come.
Across the Channel in France, a host of towns and cities recorded their highest ever temperatures on Monday, the national weather office said.
The mercury hit 39.3 Celsius (102.7 Fahrenheit) in Brest on the Atlantic coast in the far northwest of the country compared with a previous record of 35.1 C from 2002.
Saint-Brieuc on the Channel coast sizzled in 39.5 C compared with a previous record of 38.1 C, while western Nantes recorded 42 C, beating a previous high of 40.3 C set in 1949.
"In some southwestern areas, it will be a heat apocalypse," meteorologist Francois Gourand told AFP.