Europe to swelter on the continent's hottest day in history as 'Omega Block' threatens to bring 102F temperatures to France and Belgium
- Belgian meteorologists registered record high temperatures on Wednesday
- A record high of 102F (39C) was registered on the Kleine-Brogel military base
- Forecasters predicted new temperatures highs in a string of countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands set to reach 104F (40C) on Thursday
Trains were slowed down and holidaymakers flocked to swimming pools, beaches and lakes in western Europe as another heatwave set new temperature records today.
And the continent is set to suffer another record-breaking day of heat tomorrow when a so-called 'Omega Block' allows hot air to flow up from Africa, meaning temperatures could hit 102F (39C) across Europe, breaking records set in the 1940s.
Belgian meteorologists have registered record high temperatures as western Europe sweltered under the second heatwave of summer that has disrupted transport and triggered safety warnings.
David Dehenauw, chief forecaster at the Royal Meteorological Institute, said a high of 102F (38.9C) had been recorded on the Kleine-Brogel military base.
The continent is set to suffer another record-breaking day of heat on Thursday when a so-called 'Omega Block' of hot air allows hot air to flow up from Africa by diverting the jet stream. Temperatures could hit 102F across Europe, breaking records set in the 1940s. Pictured: A young boy jumps into the pool as temperatures reach new record highs at a public pool in Hanau, near Frankfurt
People cool off as temperatures reach new record highs in a fountain at the Berlin cathedral
A dry part of the bed of the River Loire at Montjean-sur-Loire, western France
Police uses a water cannon to irrigate roadside trees in Wuppertal, western Germany
People sunbathe and cool off at the Trocadero Fountains next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris
People queue to dive into the landmark sea pool of Saint-Malo, Brittany
In a tweet, the official said this was the highest since Belgium's first records were kept in 1833, and warned that temperatures are expected to rise further on Thursday.
The previous record temperature was 101.8F (38.8C) on June 27, 1947.
This number was revised down to 97.9F (36.6C) in 1980 after new, more accurate equipment was installed at the institute's observatory in the Brussels district of Uccle.
The Netherlands also experienced its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with the mercury soaring to 102F (39C).
The temperature measured at Gilze-Rijen in the south smashed a 75-year record of from 1944, the Dutch Meteorological Institute said.
A host of French cities saw their highest levels since records began on Tuesday, with wine capital Bordeaux recording 106F (41C), beating the previous high registered in August 2003, weather service Meteo-France said.
People arrive at La Malagueta beach in Malaga, as the summer's second heatwave hits Spain
People crowd the beach at Zinnowitz on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea, northern Germany
An image taken with a drone shows beach umbrellas and deck chairs as beachgoers enjoy the hot weather in Scheveningen, the Netherlands
People cool off at the Trocadero Fountains next to the Eiffel Tower yesterday
France's weather office said the scorching conditions 'require particular care, notably for vulnerable or exposed people' with almost the entire country under an orange-level weather alert, the second highest level.
Local authorities have placed restrictions on water usage in many areas due to drought-like conditions that have seen ground and river water levels fall dramatically.
'At the moment, it's tricky but under control, but we need to be very vigilant,' junior environment minister Emmanuelle Wargon said of national water levels on Tuesday, calling on people to show 'civic responsibility' to avoid wastage.
Water restrictions are in place in 73 out of 96 departments in mainland France, with the worst affected areas in the Loire area of central France, as well as the south west and the south east.
While the heat spelt misery for some in sweaty homes and offices, it was a boon for millions of holidaymakers at the beach for their summer holidays, as well as ice-cream makers who are enjoying a stellar summer for sales.
Animals in zoos in many countries are being fed food caked in ice or even frozen blood to keep them cool.
People cool off as temperatures reach new record highs in a fountain at the Berlin cathedral, Germany
A boy plays with water in the fountain at the Places des Nations near the United Nations in Geneva
People cool off in the futuristically designed 'Badeschiff' (Pool ship) on the Spree river as temperatures reach new record highs in Berlin
Lions at the Fitilieu wildlife park in western France have been given chicken sorbet.
Many Dutch farmers are leaving their cows outside to sleep, rather than bringing them in at night, while some kindergartens have closed their doors because of the risks for young children.
The highest June temperatures ever were recorded also recorded in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Andorra, Luxembourg, and Poland.
Clare Nullis, a World Meteorological Organisation spokeswoman said it was 'a hallmark of climate change' and extreme weather was 'becoming more frequent, they're starting earlier and they're becoming more intense'.
The UK Met Office said there is a 60 per cent chance tomorrow could be the hottest day on record, depending on the amount of cloud. The highest overnight average temperature ever seen in the UK was 73.94F (23.3C) in July 1948, and forecasters have also now said there is a possibility this will also be beaten tomorrow night into Friday.
Boiling air originating from Africa has swept across Europe towards Britain, with forecasters also predicting new temperature highs in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 104F (40C).
Network Rail said it was slowing down trains in response to the extreme weather, which comes only weeks after another record-breaking heatwave in Europe in June.
People cool off on canoes on the river Spree
A woman plays with water in the fountain at the Places des Nations near the United Nations in Geneva
A man takes a sunbath close to the North Sea beach in Wremen
'Extreme heat can cause overhead wires to sag and become damaged by fast trains. We slow down services to keep passengers safe when this happens,' the company said on Twitter.
Across the area affected by the unusually high heat, stretching from France up to Norway in the north, people sought out ways to cool off in lakes and rivers, leading to an increase in drowning incidents.
In London, police were searching for three people who have gone missing in the River Thames while swimming.
Forecasters predicted new temperatures highs in a string of countries tomorrow including Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 104F (40C) for the first time.
The same day could also see the all-time record temperature for the French capital Paris - 104.7 degrees Fahrenheit (40.7C) - in 1947 - beaten.
The heat is putting pressure on authorities to help protect the elderly and the sick. Air conditioning is not common at homes, offices, schools or hospitals in European cities.
The weather is also aggravating droughts since it hasn't rained much in many parts of Europe this summer. The combination of heat, wind, and the risk of lightning from thunderstorms also increases the risk of wildfires such as those blazing in Portugal, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Only last month Europe struggled to cope with soaring temperatures across the continent, which caused wildfires in Spain, France and Germany.
Hundreds of Eurostar passengers have been left stranded in scorching heat as they were forced off a train after an overhead power supply failure in Belgium.
Travellers said they were stuck in 104F (40C) heat after the high-speed train came to a stop near Halle, before they were finally evacuated at the side of the track as they waited for a rescue train.
At least four more international trains have been cancelled and others delayed in the resulting chaos, ruining travel plans for thousands of people.
Children enjoy a water slide as temperatures reach new record highs at a public pool in Hanau, near Frankfurt
A young boy jumps into the pool as temperatures reach new record highs at a public pool in Hanau
A woman walks on a bridge over the Seine river in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris
A girl does a hand stand in the water at the Jungfernheide Sommerbad in north Berlin
Lena (right) and Jara, both ten years old, carry an inflated flamingo bathing toy at the beach of Rerik at the Baltic Sea, northeastern Germany
An elephant cools off in the water of its pool at the Tierpark Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg
'Babies are ill, people are fainting. We were promised a rescue train. It's been two hours,' said one furious customer, comedian Katy Brand.
The World Meteorological Organisation said that 2019 is on track to be among the world's hottest years and 2015-2019 would be the hottest five-year period on record.
In the UK temperatures could exceed the all-time record of 101F (38.5C) on Thursday - asthma sufferers were warned of a 'toxic cocktail' of hot, humid weather and rising pollution levels.
This 'could be extremely hazardous for the 5.4 million people in the UK with asthma, triggering deadly asthma attacks,' said Andy Whittamore, clinical leader at charity Asthma UK.
In the Netherlands - where most of the country was hit by a 'code orange' alert Tuesday - the government activated its 'national heat plan', issuing advice for hospitals, retirement homes and even obese people.
Animals were also a cause for concern.
In France, the government banned animal transportation 'for economic reasons' between 1pm and 6pm in areas affected by 'orange' and 'red' heat alerts.
Paris and the eastern city of Lyon have also banned more heavily polluting vehicles from the city centre in a bid to keep the air clean.
The heatwave has also caused water shortages in dozens of regions across France, with a drought raising concerns for farmers producing a host of crops from potatoes to grapes.
The new heatwave in northern Europe follows a three-day temperature peak from June 26-28 in France, which was 7.2F (4C) hotter than an equally rare June heatwave would have been in 1900, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) team said this month.
French energy company EDF said it would temporarily shut down the two reactors at its Golftech nuclear power plant this week in the southern Tarn-et-Garonne department, in a bid to limit the heating of water used to keep reactors cool.
Reactor number two shut down on Tuesday evening and number one on Wednesday, with both due to stay shut until July 30.
France is gearing up for a surge in electricity use this week, but the national electricity board said Monday that there will be enough supplies.
People cool-off in the Mediterranean sea in Calella
A huge thermometer mounted on a wall of the headquarters of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) shows a temperature of 42C (108F) in Bonn, Germany
People cool off on canoes on the river Spree as temperatures reach new record highs in Berlin
A French Republican Guards holds a bottle of water on a hot summer day in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace
Baby elephant Ben Long cools off in his pool at the zoo in Leipzig, eastern German
And as the Tour de France reached its final week in the southeast of the country, ice foot baths and extra water points were on hand to avoid dehydration.
'In the third week of the Tour de France, I think heat like this could make the difference,' said Davide Bramati, head of sport for team Deceuninck, whose cyclist Julian Alaphilippe is currently leading the world-famous race.
Authorities around Europe also issued health warnings, encouraging older or vulnerable people to be particularly vigilant.
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