A searing heatwave has killed at least 46 people across southern Europe.
Twenty-nine heat-related deaths were recorded in Romania where temperatures on Tuesday hit 45?C. Four people have died in Greece, six in Italy, three in Albania and at least four across Bosnia, Croatia and Turkey.
Three elderly people died on Tuesday in the Italian island of Sicily, taking the nationwide toll in the current heatwave to six.
Two men, both aged over 80, died in the southern town of Calabria while a 59-year-old woman was found dead in her home in the northwestern town of Palermo in Sicily.
Italian firefighters have dropped tanks of water from aircraft to control more than 30 forest fires after temperatures in the south topped 45?C.
Bucharest was Europe's hottest capital on Tuesday with temperatures at 45?C but a heat alert was sounded for much of the south of the country.
Ambulance services were besieged with calls to help people fainting in the street, officials said. Fourteen people have died from the heat in the city over the past week, according to authorities who have set up more than 30 first aid tents in Bucharest alone to cope with the casualties.
Police have been handing out water in the street and the health ministry has warned the elderly and those with debilitating illnesses not to go out during the day.
Temperatures reached 44?C in Athens and central Greece on Tuesday, the hottest this year, and the government urged the public to save power as electricity consumption hit new highs.
The Greek military suspended all exercises and public services were closed in the afternoon.
Temperatures in Bulgaria beat the record for a second time this week with the mercury shooting up to 43?C on Tuesday in the southeastern town of Radnevo.
Authorities sprayed water on the tram rails to prevent them from buckling in the heat but no casualties have been reported. Trains ran at slower speeds, in some cases at 30km per hour as rails were deforming under the heat.
Police also banned heavy trucks from the roads at the hottest hours.
Authorities in seven Turkish provinces have given two or three days of leave to handicapped or pregnant civil servants, Anatolia news agency said.
Northern Africa was also affected by the heat wave with high temperatures of more than 40?C recorded in Tunisia, where several fires were fanned by the heat and strong Sirocco winds.
There were power cuts across the country, notably in the seaside capital Tunis.
Meanwhile, northern Europe has been drenched by torrential downpours.
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