Paris bans alcohol, brawls erupt over air conditioning units and zoo animals fed ice pops as heatwave sweeps Europe
Outdoor sprinklers in Cologne cooled locals as some French citizens fry eggs on rooftops amid soaring temperatures
Parisians are facing a ban on alcohol and swimming in the city's canals, while zoo animals in Italy have been treated to ice lollies, as Europe bakes amid soaring temperatures.
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Rare red warnings remain in place across the UK on Friday after Thursday provisionally became the hottest June day on record, with 36.7C recorded in Merryfield, Somerset.
At home, health chiefs warned of a record number of life-threatening emergency calls, as record-breaking temperatures continue to scorch Europe.
In Paris, locals took to the city's canals in a bid to cool down, despite warnings from authorities not to do so, as locals faced a ban on alcohol sales amid health concerns in the searing heat.
Police were seen to ask the organisers of the Pride March to cancel this Saturday's event, with the annual event now postponed until September.
It comes as emergency services in the UK reported a record number of emergency call-outs, as extreme temperatures grip Europe.
On Friday, temperatures were expected to be smashed for the third consecutive day, as temperatures exceeded 40C across parts of Europe.
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It comes as scientists said that human-caused climate change was 'unequivocally' behind the record-breaking temperatures, with the levels seen 'virtually impossible' during a June day fifty years ago.
According to data, a similar heatwave would have been 3.5C cooler during the day in June 1976, the study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States and Britain found.
Elsewhere in Paris, locals were seen to fry eggs on apartment roofs to illustrate scorching temperatures, while in Italy zoo animals were treated to frozen ice lollies containing their favourite treats in a bid to lower their body temperatures.
Locals in Cologne enjoyed sprinklers in the fight to cool down, as hosepipes were run along the city's streets.
Closer to home, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it had responded to its highest number of life-threatening emergencies ever on Wednesday, and its chief operating officer Craig Harman said he expects “demand to grow day on day over the next couple of days”
.As football fans prepare to cheer on England in Saturday’s World Cup game, Mr Harman has told people to drink alcohol responsibly, drinking “plenty of water” in between alcoholic beverages.
He told the Press Association it is not just the elderly and people with underlying health conditions affected by the heat, adding: “I’m saying to people I need you to drink water even when you’re not thirsty, staying out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, and particularly not exercising outside and putting your body under additional heat and strain.”
Firefighters in Derbyshire also announced they are responding to a wildfire that erupted during the heatwave.
Train passengers are being urged to avoid non-essential travel across much of England on Friday, with Network Rail saying services operating in the Met Office’s red and amber zones should only be used “if absolutely necessary”.
The cells at Bristol Crown Court have been closed due to the heat, with defendants moved to Bristol Magistrates’ Court where it was thought to be cooler.Meanwhile, the National Energy System Operator (Neso) said electricity supplies may be squeezed on Friday.
Neso, which is tasked with making sure the supply of electricity matches demand for it, issued a so-called electricity margin notice for between 7pm and 10pm.
It is asking for 700 megawatts of power generation as a buffer to cover an expected shortfall in electricity margins.
It is the second time this week Neso has issued a call for more power, having done the same on Wednesday.
However, the grid operator cancelled the warning shortly after 2pm on Wednesday, indicating it was confident in power supply levels for the evening.
Annie Shuttleworth, a Met Office meteorologist, said eastern England is expected to see the highest temperatures on Friday but things will “finally cool down this weekend”.
Wales saw its hottest June day on record on Thursday, with 35.9C recorded in Cardiff, while Northern Ireland saw the previous record high for June matched after a temperature of 30.8C was reached in Castlederg.
The current heatwave is driven by a “heat-dome” – an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat – settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent.