Europe weather: Top of Eiffel Tower closed amid intense heat wave; Barcelona records hottest June in over 100 years

Europe weather update: Amid an intense heat wave in Europe, the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris will remain closed to visitors over the next two days. Temperatures in the French capital surged as high as 41°C (105.8°F) on Tuesday.

As the heat wave is set to peak over the coming days, driven by a blast of Saharan air, France’s national weather agency, Météo-France, issued red alerts for Paris and 15 other departments.

Due to the extreme heat, around 1,350 French schools were partially or fully shut on Tuesday. According to France Info, more than 5,000 homes experienced power outages in the Ardèche and Drôme regions.

Train services between Paris and several cities, including Toulouse and Limousin, were also disrupted.

The soaring temperatures have triggered extreme weather events across Europe, ranging from violent storms to wildfires.

According to forecasts, temperatures across the Iberian Peninsula could climb even higher, with 43°C expected in parts of Spain. Similar highs are forecast in Beja, Portugal, where a June record of 46.6°C was recorded in Évora on Sunday. London could reach 34°C before temperatures cool from Wednesday.

In Germany, red heat alerts were issued for five districts west of Cologne and three additional areas in the south.

Switzerland also issued red warnings for severe thunderstorms in the Alps.

In Portugal, Lisbon was forecast to reach 33°C, while some inland regions could see temperatures peaking at 43°C.

The Fabra Observatory, located on a hill overlooking the city, recorded an average temperature of 26°C (78.8°F), breaking the previous record of 25.6°C set in 2003. Weather records at the observatory date back to 1914.

Health warnings remained in effect on Tuesday across several EU countries, even as conditions began to improve in some areas.