The scorching heatwave sweeping Europe has claimed lives. Six people have died as temperatures top 40C, with three deaths in Italy, two in Spain, and one in France. In parts of Italy, admissions to emergency units has risen by 15-20%, with a majority of patients being elderly.

Four people died in Spain, two in France and two in Italy as an early summer heatwave continued to grip much of Europe on Wednesday, triggering health alerts and forest fires and forcing the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant.

Several European regions had their highest temperatures on the last day of June, as a heatwave continues into July.