European heatwave forces Paris to begin shutting down - as 40C peak predicted
Paris is on red alert as Europe faces extreme heat, with the French capital expected to see highs of a blistering 40C on Tuesday.
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Météo-France has placed multiple departments under its highest red alert, with Paris expected to see the most severe impact.
The Eiffel Tower summit is closed all day on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat, and visitors have been asked to postpone their visit until Thursday.
Visitors have been reminded to protect themselves from the sun and stay hydrated, with water fountains made available in the walkways leading to the esplanade.
More than 1,300 schools are expected to be partially or fully closed due to the extreme heat, the Education Ministry has confirmed.
Météo-France warned of the heightened risk of wildfires due to the drought-stricken soil, made worse by a lack of rain in June.
Several forest fires broke out in the southern Corbières mountain range on Sunday, leading to evacuations and the closure of a motorway. The fires have now been contained, officials told French media.
Read more: IN PICTURES: Europe swelters in “heat dome” of 40C heat
Read more: Brits brace for 35C temperatures as 'heat dome' sees mercury soar across UK and Europe
Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date.
By 2100, France could be up to 4C warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50C.
According to Meteo-France, the country may face a tenfold increase in the number of heatwave days by 2100.
Elsewhere in Europe, Barcelona reported the hottest month of June since records began more than 100 years ago.
Meanwhile, 17 of Italy's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave, according to health officials.
In Portugal, Lisbon was forecast to reach 33C, typical for this time of the year, though some inland areas could still see peaks of 43C, according to the national weather agency.
June temperature records were broken in two locations in Portugal on June 29.
Temperatures are also forecast to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In the UK, the heatwave is set to peak in the south east with temperatures of up to 35C in what is forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far.
Much of England has been issued with warnings of extreme heat this week as Monday brought the hottest start to Wimbledon on record and temperatures soared to a high of 33.1C in Heathrow.
Scientists warned that the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier.