A heat wave sweeping through northwestern Europe sent thermometers soaring Thursday, with national records set in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, as well as a city record in Paris.
Germany recorded its highest temperature ever at 42.6 degrees Celsius in the town of Lingen in the northwest state of Lower Saxony, the German weather service said, citing preliminary data.
Belgium also measured a new all-time national record of 40.7 degrees in the small western village of Beitem, meteorologist David Dehenauw tweeted.
The Netherlands passed the 40-degree mark for the first time since records began, with a temperature of 40.7 degrees recorded in Gilze-Rijen in the southern province of North Brabant, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute said.
Paris saw the mercury hit 42.6 degrees, national weather service Meteo France said, the highest temperature ever recorded in the French capital. The previous high of 40.4 degrees dated back to 1947.
Britain had also expected to record its highest-ever temperature with forecasts of up to 39 degrees , but in the end fell short at just 38.1 degrees, according to the Met Office, Britain's weather service. That marked the second-highest reading ever and was still the hottest July day on record.
The extreme weather led to heat warnings from authorities in several countries.
Northern and northcentral France was on red heat wave alert, the highest of three warning levels and marking just the second time France has issued the high alert, which was implemented after a deadly 2003 heat wave.
The first time was in June this year, when a record-breaking 46 degrees was measured in Vergargues.
Authorities warned residents to avoid all sports and any unnecessary trips, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and check on elderly relatives and neighbours.
The record highs were spread across Germany with new top temperatures in six of Germany's 16 states. A total of 25 measuring stations recorded temperatures over 40 degrees, with 15 breaking the 40.3-degree record set in Kitzingen in 2015.
The opposition Greens party in Germany called for employees to be allowed to take time off or work from home during the unusual heat.
According to climate scientists, heat waves such as this are likely to become the norm in the coming years.
"Whether there will always be new records or we just keep getting close to these record temperatures is not yet clear," Daniela Jakob, director of Climate Service Center Germany, told dpa.
TNS
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