Asya Robins
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Much of Europe and parts of the UK have been in the grip of an intense heatwave over the last few days, with temperatures continuing to soar today.

Pictures coming in from across the continent show people attempting to find some relief from the heat at public water fountains and water distribution points.

Temperatures exceeded 40C in both Portugal and Spain, days after both countries experienced their hottest June days on record.

France, the Netherlands, Greece, and Italy also experienced scorching temperatures which saw Paris under a red heatwave alert and two deaths recorded in the Italian cities of Bologna and Bardonecchia.

Wildfires continued to rage on the western coast of Turkey as more than 50,000 people have been evacuated from impacted areas.

England also had its warmest June on record, according to the Met Office, while the UK saw the second warmest June since records began in 1884.

Temperatures are expected to fall significantly in the UK from Wednesday, but will remain high in parts of Europe.

We're ending our live coverage now - thank you for sticking with us.

You can read our news story on the heatwave gripping Europe here.

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Weather presenter

Heat will continue across much of Europe but will gradually ease away from the northwest.

This will mean a slightly cooler day on Wednesday for Spain, Portugal and central France. But it will stay very hot for areas including eastern France, Switzerland and Germany.

The hottest spots here will be close to 40C (104F) - up to 15 degrees above average.

There will also be some showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday for parts of northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as across the Pyrenees and Alps.

By the end of the week, the heat will be focussed on the heat into the Balkans, south-eastern Europe late this week/weekend.

Risk of a few heavy thundery showers over the Alps and Central Europe on Tuesday

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Weather presenter

After the hottest day of the year so far, tonight will be another hot, sticky night for south-east England, with temperatures staying up around 18C.

For the rest of the UK, it will turn fresher, with overnight lows between seven and 15C. Cloud and patchy rain will move across Scotland and eastern England, whilst clear skies develop elsewhere.

Wednesday will be a cooler, fresher day across all parts of the UK with temperatures ranging between 14C to 24C north to south. The bulk of the rain will affect eastern parts of Scotland and England, with a mix of sunshine and a few showers elsewhere.

Thursday and Friday will be mainly dry across England and Wales, with some blustery showers for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Then the weather is likely to turn more widely unsettled by the weekend.

In our next post, we'll bring you the latest forecast for Europe.

Harry Poole
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Image source, Getty Images

The hottest ever start at Wimbledon has created big challenges for the players, staff and spectators at the All England Club.

Ice packs, cold towels and taking plenty of water have been key to help the players manage the heat amid sustained temperatures above 30C during Monday and Tuesday.

The ball boys and girls were also given cooling scarves, while spectators have been advised to take time out of the sun - as difficult as it might be to miss some of the tennis.

Most fans have attempted to shade themselves with hats and umbrellas while in the stands, and cool themselves with hand-held fans and refreshments.

We've just received the latest update from the Met Office saying that a new provisional high temperature of 34.7C has now been recorded.

The new high was recorded at St James's Park in London.

Andrée Massiah
Live reporter

Image source, Gina Peterzon

Gina Peterzon, who lives in Sardinia, Italy, describes the heatwave as “horrendous”.

“We’ve had a few fires and people are suffering,” Gina tells the BBC. “A lot of my friends suffered from heatstroke, even while drinking loads of water and staying in the shade.”

“The whole of Sardinia is burning. I could see smoke from my house and from my place of work.”

Despite warnings about the soaring temperatures, Gina says she is doing all she can to keep cool.

“There has been a lot of warnings for people to take precautions, like wetting gardens, etc," she adds. "I have been coping by staying inside as much as I can, staying hydrated and swimming a lot.”

As scorching temperatures have hit many parts of Europe today, and the UK has had its hottest day of the year, here are some images of how people have been coping in the heat:As a reminder, here's a handy guide on how to keep safe in the heat.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Imogen Foulkes
Reporting from Geneva

Image source, Getty Images

The heatwave is here in Switzerland too: temperatures in the cities are up in the mid-30s centigrade.

In Bern, people are jumping in the river to cool off. In Zurich and Geneva, they’re splashing in the lakes.

But high in the alps, there’s something else going on. There is a temperature measurement called in German the ‘nullgradgrenze’: the zero-degree or freezing temperature altitude.

It’s viewed as so important it is given out in every Swiss weather report.

In winter, a low altitude - say 600 metres - means good snow for skiing. But this weekend the 0 degree threshold rose above 5,000 metres, which means everything below that will start to thaw, and the highest Swiss alp is Monte Rosa, at 4,634 metres.

Over the last three years, that 5,000-metre threshold has been crossed several times, but before 2022 only once since records began.

Alpine climate scientists are convinced that global warming is contributing to the temperature rise, to the rapidly shrinking glaciers, and to the melting permafrost.

The thaw brings the risk of landslides, which are happening more frequently in the alps. And scientists warn, if global warming isn’t controlled, the glaciers could be gone by the end of this century.

Image source, PA Media

The Swiss authorities have issued amber heatwave warnings across the country until Thursday, with temperatures set to be about 10C above average for this time of year.

Temperatures could rise to highs of 35C (95F), while there's also the threat of thunderstorms causing heavy downpours towards the end of the week.

The country is hosting the Women's Euro 2025 from tomorrow, with the earliest kick off time at 18:00 CET (17:00 BST) - and temperatures expected to be between 27 and 30C - for Iceland v Finland.

But it's predicted to be cooler - between 24 and 27C - for the later 21:00 CET kick-offs.

The heatwave is set to last until Monday, when temperatures are expected to drop by 10C to highs of 23C.

• You can read more on how the temperatures could affect the tournament on BBC Sport

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The train connection between France's capital Paris and Milan, northern Italy, will remain shut for "a few days", local media in both countries report.

Following flash flooding in the city of Modane, in the France's southern region of Savoy, part of the track is "no longer visible", national rail company SNCF tells AFP.

Checks will be carried out "when the water recedes", after which the company should be able to "give an estimate of the timeframe for the resumption of traffic".

Today's service from Paris to Milan, due to arrive at 22:07 local time (21:07 BST) has been cancelled as has the service from Milan to Paris due to leave the Italian city at 15:48 local time (14:48 BST).

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

As many as 1,896 schools and colleges in France closed as of lunchtime today because of the heat.

The establishments, which include 1,880 schools, 14 colleges and two secondary schools, were all in departments in the country covered by the red alert.

Temperatures in Paris, Tours and Bourges reached 38C (100.4F).

In Durban-Corbières the scorching heat got as high 41.5C (106.7F).

Image source, Getty Images

In Brussels, Belgium, the world-renowned Atomium monument had to close early today as a result of the scorching heatwave in Europe.

On Tuesday, temperatures in Brussels got as high as 37C (98.6 F).

In a statement, the monument's management team says the temperature inside the Atomium will be "particularly high over the next few days".

The molecule-shaped exhibition will close to the public three and a half hours earlier than usual both today and tomorrow to safeguard the wellbeing of visitors.

The 102-metre structure is one of the most visited sites in Belgium and it closed to the public because of high temperatures previously, when temperatures reached 41.8C (107F) in 2019.

The landmark isn't the only one to close its doors to the public due to the heat, as the Eiffel Tower in Paris is also shut.

In an update on their website, external, they say: "Due to the extreme temperatures expected in the afternoon and evening, the Eiffel Tower will close at 16:00 (local time, 15:00 BST), last entry at 14:30."

Anna Holligan
Reporting from the seaside at Kijkduin, The Hague

A Code Yellow warning is in effect nationwide in the Netherlands, escalating to a Code Orange in some southern provinces.

Temperatures are soaring and expected to hit 39C inland - which explains why so many people have flocked to coastal areas like The Hague where highs are a comparatively bearable at 26C to 30C.

Colourful pop up tents are dotted along the shore in the seaside resort of Kijkduin, where people have escaped the city with their parasols and pets.

Free sunscreen stations are offering protection outside some of the beach bars.

The heatwave has caused disruption across the country - events have been shifted to earlier in the day or postponed and after school sports activities have been cancelled.

A National Heat Plan is in place, urging people to stay hydrated, avoid peak sun hours, and watch out for vulnerable people.

We've just received the latest highest temperatures recorded in the UK - and there's a chance they could rise even further.

The heat is most intense in the south-east of England as Writtle in Essex has recorded a 33.9C (93F) high, surpassing the previous high recorded today in Frittenden, Kent, at 33.6C.

Meanwhile, the thermometer in East Malling, Kent, hit 33.8C.

It's a little cooler, but only just, in central London, where a temperature of 33.6C has been recorded in St James's Park.

Asya Robins
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

We've just had a flurry of updates from the UK, but let's get you up to speed on the heatwave that continues to grip Europe:

France: Paris is on red alert for high temperatures today alongside another 16 regions across the country.

Turkey: Wildfires continue to rage on the western coast following intense heat as more than 50,000 people have been evacuated.

Greece: Authorities warn of a very high risk of wildfires across large parts of the country after experiencing a first wave of extreme temperatures a few days ago.

Italy: Two deaths have been recorded following extreme conditions - a man died in Bologna after falling ill at a construction site and a 70-year-old drowned after being caught in flash flooding in the tourist resort of Bardonecchia, in the north-west of the country.

Portugal: Mechanisms to combat rural wildfires are being reinforced as the country has had its hottest June day on record - as temperatures continue to reach up to 43C in Beja, in the Alentejo region, on the first day of July.

Spain: The hottest June on record has been recorded, with 46C registered at El Granado in the south-west of the country. Barcelona City Hall activated its heatwave management plans, which include distributing water and hats in the streets.

The Netherlands is also experiencing scorching temperatures between 12C and 16C above the seasonal average. This heatwave is part of a broader pattern of rising summer temperatures, writes our correspondent Anna Holligan from The Hague.

And, in the UK: The hottest day of the year so far has been recorded with temperatures reaching 33.6C in Frittenden, Kent, as the Met Office confirms England had its warmest June on record this year.

Image source, Peter and Leah/BBC Weather Watchers

England has had its warmest June on record, the Met Office announced today, while the UK as a whole saw the second warmest June since records began in 1884.

In England, a mean temperature of 16.9C set a new record for the hottest temperature experienced in the month of June.

According to provisional data, the Met Office says the whole of the UK's mean temperature of 15.2C was the second highest on record for June.

It was "only surpassed by June 2023, which recorded 15.8C".

The Met Office adds: "Average daily maximum temperatures were also well-above the long-term meteorological average for June, with England recording its third highest and the UK its sixth highest average temperature since 1884."

Image source, Carrbridge Community Fire Station

Firefighters are working tirelessly to tackle wildfires across Highland and Moray for the fourth day in a row.

The blaze began on Saturday morning and firefighters are continuing to tackle pockets of fire in various locations - from Nairn in Highland to Knockando in Moray.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ross Robison of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says: “The vast scale of these fires has been challenging for our crews over the past four days, particularly because of the strong winds that have caused the fires and smoke to spread further across the landscape."

The UK's highest temperatures of the year have been recorded today in Kent and south-east England, but there are mixed conditions across other parts of the UK.

In contrast to the intense heat in south-east England, flood alerts are in place across large parts of Scotland.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency says heavy rainfall on Tuesday afternoon and evening might lead to flooding in:

• West central Scotland
• Central Scotland
• Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City
• Tayside
• Findhorn, Nairn, Moray and Speyside.

The five separate warnings came into effect this morning.

It comes as firefighters enter their fourth day of battling wildfires in some parts of the Scottish Highlands and Moray - we'll have more on that in our next post.

Elizabeth Rizzini
Lead weather presenter

Image source, Kendal Jay/BBC Weather Watchers

With high pressure moving eastwards, the heat is being squeezed across the south-east of England, where the sunshine and heat remain.

There is a band of cloud stretching across the midlands, north-east Anglia and through to Hampshire. This is a cold front and will eventually drag behind it colder air.

Under the cloud, temperatures in the east of England will stay in the twenties.

Wales and northern England, who are behind the cold front are a lot cooler today with temperatures in the high teens to low twenties.

It’s distinctly cooler again across Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures reaching mid to high teens at best.

By Wednesday, the cold front will spread fresher-feeling conditions across the whole of the UK.

Even the south-east, which has faced the most intense heat today, will see a huge drop in temperatures to 24C.

Elizabeth Rizzini
Lead weather presenter

It's now the hottest day of the year so far in the UK and we're getting updates thick and fast as temperatures continue to be recorded.

The latest highest recorded temperature stands at 33.6C in Frittenden, Kent - recorded at 13:00 BST - surpassing the 33.2C recorded at Charlwood in Surrey on 21 June this year.

We are still expecting temperatures to rise further today and are likely to see 34C with a lower chance of reaching 35C in places.

This is most likely in Kent and possibly in the London area, although there is some patchy cloud in the capital which could limit higher temperatures.

It’s not unusual to see high temperatures and spells of warmer weather in July. The highest July temperature of last year was 32C - recorded in Kew on 30 July.

The highest July temperature of all time was set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 19 July 2022 at 40.3C.

As our climate continues to warm we can expect to see more intense and longer spells of weather during the summer months.

In our next post we'll take you through the forecast for the rest of the day as not everywhere across the UK is facing the high temperatures.