EUROPE WILTS IN HEAT

PORTUGAL: HEAT SOARS

The heatwave was expected to reach its peak yesterday, said Paula Leitao of the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), with the city of Setubal not far from Lisbon due to reach highs of 46 C during the day. Authorities in Lisbon have closed playgrounds and called on people to avoid picnics and outdoor activities. Refuges for homeless people have also opened earlier in the day to allow them to take shelter from the crushing heat.

SPAIN: THREE DEAD

In southern Spain, the heat continued to pound down with the touristy city of Cordoba expected to reach 45 C. The heat has already claimed the lives of three people this week.

NETHERLANDS: ASPHALT MELTING

In the Netherlands, authorities had closed certain sections of highways where the heat had melted the asphalt. The central city of Zwolle, meanwhile, had started cutting the branches of some 100 poplar trees. Dutch public television NOS explained that branches could break due to the heat and create danger for drivers or passers-by.

FRANCE: NUKE REACTORS CLOSE

A total of four nuclear reactors in France have been closed due to the heatwave. French power company EDF said the measures were taken to avoid raising too high the temperature of rivers where nuclear plants draw water to cool down reactors and then pour it back in.

ITALY: HEALTH WARNINGS

Italy faced the summer's busiest day on the roads for holiday. Holiday-makers were expected to face adverse weather conditions wherever they went. This week, the Legambiente association for the defence of the environment published a report on the negative effects of heatwaves. It revealed that in Lazio, the region where Rome is located, heatwaves had caused around 7,700 deaths since 2000.

SWEDEN: RELIEF

Following its hottest July in 250 years, rainshowers gave Sweden cooling relief yesterday across most of the country. The mercury fell to more typical summer temperatures of around 20-25 C, the Swedish Metereological and Hydrological Institute said.