Extreme heat has gripped countries including France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, with record temperatures, health alerts and wildfires.

France and the rest of Europe are still in the grips of the first major heat wave this summer even as conditions began to improve in some parts of the region

Barcelona has recorded its hottest month of June since records started over a century ago, Spain’s national weather service said. The Can Fabra Observatory, located on a hill overlooking Barcelona, reported an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit),