A blaze in southern France forced the closure of the Marseille airport, and weather agencies issued warnings for other parts of Europe where temperatures were expected to climb this week.

Four people died in Spain, two in France and two in Italy as an early summer heat wave continues to grip much of Europe this week.

A marine heat wave in the Mediterranean is combining with a powerful heat dome to cause Europe to swelter under a brutal early summer heat wave.

A heat wave covered much of Europe on Monday, with record-hot first day of play at Wimbledon and forest fires in Turkey and France.

Some parts of Western Europe were starting to cool off as the extreme heat that has gripped the continent moved east.

Europe’s heat wave is set to peak over the coming days, with a blast of Saharan air triggering red alerts from France to the Swiss Alps.

A record-breaking heat wave in Europe has forced the shutdown of at least three nuclear reactors due to rising river temperatures used for cooling. One reactor at France’s Golfech Nuclear Power Plant was shut down after forecasts showed the Garonne River could exceed 28°C (82°F).

Wildfires were raging in Spain and France on Tuesday after a dayslong heat wave parched landscapes in the region and turned woodlands into tinderboxes.

Rome and Paris zoos served up frozen treats to its animals on Wednesday as the European capitals were caught in a severe heat wave.

Europe is currently experiencing its first major heatwave of the summer, with cities including Paris, Rome, The Hague, and Barcelona facing temperatures well above the seasonal average. Following a notably dry spring,