Europe confronts climate emergency as temperatures hit record highs in UK and France | BBC News

France has recorded its hottest day since records began in 1947, breaking a record set a day earlier, as an early summer heatwave grips western Europe. France's national temperature indicator - an average of day and night temperatures across dozens of locations - hit 30C, up from 29.8C a day earlier.

In the UK a red heat alert is in place for large areas of England, with a temperature of 36.1C recorded in Hampshire, the highest ever recorded in June. Forecasters predict temperatures could soon hit 38C.

The heatwave has caused deaths and serious disruption, particularly in France, Spain and Italy and is spreading to other parts of western Europe, with a new orange alert for dangerous weather in place for parts of the Netherlands.

Temperatures are expected to peak in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in the next few days, with the heatwave also forecast to affect eastern Europe, where severe heat warnings have been issued in Poland, Croatia and Hungary.

Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world - but particularly in Europe - which some experts believe is heating up twice as fast as the global average.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Helena Wilkinson and Justin Rowlatt.

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