Your Monday Briefing
Extreme heat in Europe

A life-threatening heat wave is continuing its march across Western Europe this week.

Spain and Italy baked over the weekend, and wildfires raged in France, prompting the evacuation of more than 14,000 people near Bordeaux since early last week, the local authorities said. France’s national weather forecaster predicted temperatures of at least 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on the country’s Atlantic coast through tomorrow.

Now, the blistering weather is moving to Britain. Today and tomorrow, temperatures could soar to 41 degrees Celsius, which would shatter records. Air-conditioning is rare in the country, where buildings are constructed to retain heat (because cold temperatures have, in the past, been a bigger concern).

Here’s a guide to staying safe and cool during a heat wave.

Climate change: Heat waves in Europe have increased in frequency and intensity over the past four decades.