France Sweats In New Record-breaking Europe Heatwave

Tour de France cyclists competed in scorching temperatures and a French nuclear power plant prepared to shut down Tuesday as western Europe baked in a new heatwave already breaking longstanding records

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2019 ) :Tour de France cyclists competed in scorching temperatures and a French nuclear power plant prepared to shut down Tuesday as western Europe baked in a new heatwave already breaking longstanding records.

Overheating tourists in Paris and Berlin plunged into fountains and ornamental ponds to keep cool while zoo keepers in the Netherlands handed out food caked in ice to look after thirsty animals.

The southwestern French city of Bordeaux saw its highest ever temperature since records began of 41.2 degrees Celsius (106.16 Fahrenheit), beating the previous high of 40.7C registered in August 2003, weather service Meteo-France said.

Forecasters predicted new temperature highs in a string of countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands, where the mercury is set to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time on Thursday.