In Italy, the hottest week of the year started on Monday with maximum temperatures of up to 39 degrees.

Peaks of 42 degrees or more are expected by midweek.

The Po Valley in the north of the country and the regions of Lombardy, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio as well as the islands of Sardinia and Sicily are particularly affected by the heat wave.

In the Lombard metropolis of Milan, the absolute maximum of 39.3 degrees, measured on August 11, 2003, could be exceeded in the second half of the week.

According to meteorologists' forecasts, a slight cooling is not expected until the beginning or middle of next week.

Rainfall is not expected before the end of the month, apart from local thunderstorms.

The northern parts of the country are suffering from the worst drought in 70 years, with damage to agriculture running into billions.

The cause of the unprecedented heat wave, according to meteorologists, is a high pressure area over Africa that is bringing hot desert air to Italy.

The weather phenomenon was dubbed "Apocalypse 4800" by the meteorologists because the zero-degree mark is likely to rise to the never-before-seen mark of 4800 meters above sea level.

In fact, this corresponds to the summit height of Mont Blanc in the Italian-French border area, at almost 4808 meters the highest mountain in the Alps.

The high temperatures in the Dolomites and in the Alps are accelerating the melting of the glaciers there.

On the Marmolada, where there was a massive glacier collapse on July 3rd, killing eleven

a new crevasse 200 meters long and 30 meters wide opened up on Sunday.

A hut host had previously reported that he had heard rushing and crashing from the glacier.

The area has been closed since the early July disaster due to the risk of further glacial collapse.

"Climate change kills"

The state weather service Aemet has declared the heat wave in Spain to be over, as the hot air masses moved north and to Germany.

But the fire continues in more than 20 places.

Around 25,000 hectares were affected in the past ten days.

On Monday, a new fire in Pont de Vilomara, north of Barcelona, ​​caused concern because it was spiraling out of control.

The first two deaths in Spain were reported from the province of Zamora.

A firefighter and a shepherd died in the blaze.

“Climate change kills.

It kills people, destroys our ecosystem and destroys our society's most valuable property," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Monday during a visit to Extremadura, where three fires were still burning.

At least one of them was caused by arson, as was the case in other parts of Spain.

Also King Felipe VI.

traveled to the region bordering Portugal on Monday.

Because of the fire in the Zamora region, train services from Madrid to Galicia in north-western Spain were interrupted on Monday.

Five active fires were reported from neighboring Portugal.

Temperatures of up to 40 degrees

With a temperature of 35.8 degrees in the shade, a new heat record was set in Brest, on the westernmost tip of France, on Monday.

The current heat wave is particularly affecting Brittany and the southern Atlantic coast.

In 15 departments, most of them in western France, there was a red alert. In another 51 departments, the weather service Meteo France declared an orange alert.

Forest fires are still out of control near Bordeaux.

Several beaches near the Arcachon Basin were closed because the flames raged meters high behind them.

8,000 other people had to leave their homes on Monday as a precaution as the fire approached the 26,000-inhabitant city of Teste-de-Buch.

Firefighters have been battling the blaze for six days, with more than 14 already suffering.

000 hectares of pine forest have fallen victim.

DFCI fire chief Bruno Lafon said Monday was "the worst day".

At temperatures of more than 40 degrees in the shade and wind speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, he feared the fire would spread, he told radio station France Bleu.

The Ministry of the Interior announced three additional fire-fighting aircraft.

Six Bombardier fire-fighting aircraft are already in use.

Even in Germany, which was previously spared from the scorching heat, it is now getting hot.

For this Tuesday, the German Weather Service (DWD) expects temperatures of up to 40 degrees in the west.

The peak in the west and south-west is Tuesday, on Wednesday the heat will shift to the east and north-east.

Great Britain may also be heading for records: According to the Met Office weather service, temperatures in parts of England could rise to up to 41 degrees.

Exceptionally high values ​​are expected on Tuesday in particular, before temperatures are expected to drop again on Wednesday.

Doctors from the University of Rostock warn of the consequences of heat stress.

"Sunburn, headaches and sunstroke from too much direct sunlight are the greatest dangers," said Jan-Arne Lauffs, head of the central emergency room at the university emergency center.

Medical President Klaus Reinhardt called for a national heat protection plan on Monday: “Heat waves are becoming more and more frequent and extreme.

We have to prepare for that.” The heat protection plans would have to be coordinated at state and municipal level – “with special attention to vulnerable population groups”.

Doctors from clinics and practices should be involved.