Europe endured another day of extreme heat on Thursday as record-breaking temperatures spread across much of the continent, with forecasts indicating that more than 380 million people would experience temperatures above 30C and at least 101 million would face temperatures exceeding 35C.
France remained among the hardest-hit countries, placing three-quarters of the mainland under a red alert for extreme heat while authorities expanded emergency health measures amid mounting pressure on hospitals and growing concerns over heat-related deaths.
Around 63 million people in France were expected to experience temperatures above 30C, while 70 million people in Germany, 48 million in Italy and 38 million in Britain also faced unusually hot conditions.
The heatwave extended across Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Croatia, with forecasters warning that the most intense conditions were shifting eastward.
Germany warned temperatures could reach 40C, while the Czech Republic issued extreme weather warnings as temperatures were expected to climb further through the weekend.
France activated the highest level of its Orsan health emergency plan to reinforce hospital staffing and protect vulnerable residents.
Officials said heat-related deaths were being recorded among younger people as well as the elderly.
Three nuclear plants in France also went offline because of the extreme temperatures, while power outages affected tens of thousands of households in Brittany following heat-related equipment failures.
Authorities in the Paris region confirmed the death of a three-year-old child found inside a car, marking the third such incident involving a child in France during the week.
Emergency officials in northwestern France also linked several deaths at private homes to the ongoing heat, warning that intensive care units were operating at peak capacity.
In Spain, estimates from the MoMo mortality monitoring system suggested the heatwave could be linked to 212 deaths between Sunday and Wednesday.
The country also recorded its highest average daily temperatures for June since at least 1950, while parts of northern Spain exceeded 40C before weather alerts were gradually reduced.
Elsewhere, Luxembourg registered its highest June temperature on record, transport operators in Germany and the Czech Republic advised against unnecessary travel, and several public events and attractions across Europe were disrupted by the continuing heat.