London:Europe is battling its most severe heatwave on record, with roads melting and tram tracks buckling under intense sun, which is also sending thousands of people to hospital. Shattering historic records, temperatures in several European nations crossed 40°C. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded since 21 June "linked to high temperatures in Europe". This figure includes several children who died in locked cars and youths who drowned as they sought relief in unsupervised swimming spots.

In Paris, mortuaries and funeral homes have been overwhelmed by a spike in fatalities due to heat-related deaths. France reported at least 74 drowning deaths since June 18. With temperatures cooling in France, the national weather service has said it is already anticipating another heatwave in July.

The scorching heat, which first smothered western Europe last week, has already set records in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany as it moved east in recent days. Germany recorded temperatures above 41°C, while the Czech Republic crossed the 40°C mark.

Temperatures crossed the record 38.8°C in Basel in Switzerland as Denmark logged its hottest day since records began in 1874, and the UK recorded its hottest June day on record. Slovakia on Monday registered a new record temperature of 41°C in Turna nad Bodvou in the southeast, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) said.

The mercury reached 41.8°C in Aszod in central Hungary, just below the country's absolute heat record of 41.9°C from 2007. Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar told reporters the government wanted state staff to work from home where possible.

He also asked public services to reschedule outdoor work and requested that restaurants give out drinking water and air-conditioned public venues stay open.

Source:Ndtv