Scorching heat wave continues in Europe with record-breaking highs in UK and France
LONDON -- Temperatures across Europe were soaring on Thursday amid one of the most brutal heat waves within the last 50 years, with some areas in the United Kingdom and France breaking records.
Weather officials in the United Kingdom said temperatures on Wednesday rose in some areas to 35.7 degrees Celsius, or about 96.2 degrees Fahrenheit, topping a June 1976 record of 35.6 C.
The Met Office updated its Red Extreme Heat Warning, spreading the warning along most of the southern and western areas of the United Kingdom.
"This is exceptional heat for June with temperature records expected to be broken this week," Met Office Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert said in a statement. "Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting significant impacts from this heatwave, with health issues likely, even beyond those who are more vulnerable to the heat."
The Met also set Amber Heat Warnings for Friday and Saturday.
Warnings were still under review and constantly being updated, with the Met Office predicting that Friday could be the peak of the heat wave here in the United Kingdom, with temperatures soaring up as high as 100.4 F.
In France the north, west, and half of the southern areas of the country were on Thursday under red heat warnings, under which residents were being told to stay "Absolutely vigilant."
French authorities said on Thursday they expected that the heat to stay in the red for many hours ahead.
The country on Wednesday notched its highest-ever temperature, according to weather officials at Meteo-France, the national weather service. They said the country’s national heat index -- a daily average including regions around the country -- hit 30 C, or about 86 F.
"Another exceptional day is expected in terms of temperatures, with the peak of this historic heatwave anticipated," Meteo-France said in a bulletin on Thursday.
The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were closing early for a third day in a row.
Friday and Saturday are forecast to be the last extremely hot days for London and Paris -- very comfortable temperatures arrive to London just in time for Wimbledon next week.
Berlin's peak temperatures will reach over 100 F this weekend and then a cooling trend expected for next week.
Madrid and Rome will remain hot this weekend -- with some of their hottest temps yet arriving Sunday and Monday. Rome will cool to highs only near 90 by the end of next week while Madrid remains in the middle 90s.
To stay safe in the heat everyone is being encouraged to stay hydrated, avoid the sun during peak hours, around midday, and staying home to keep cool.
They have recommended keeping curtains, blinds and windows closed during the day and opening windows at night to keep your house as cool as possible.
ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.
