In Pictures: Heatwave sweeps across parts of Europe

The Spanish city of Seville is forecast to reach 42C on Sunday

An intense heatwave has been sweeping across Europe with some countries reaching temperatures of above 40C.

BBC Weather says the hot temperatures are partly due to hot air coming in from North Africa and it's "very intense" for this time of year.

Spain, France and Italy have all issued warnings about the impact of the weather on health.

Fire warnings are also in place in some countries, while wildfires have already broken out in Greece.

In France there are calls for schools to be closed in some places to protect the health of students. Local authorities in Marseille have announced that people can swim in public pools for free during the hot weather so they can cool down.

The country has been experiencing a heatwave for over a week now and an orange heat alert - the country's second highest warning - was issued.

These people are making the most of a public water fountain to help them cool down in Madrid, Spain.

People in the country are being advised to take precautions to avoid getting poorly from the sun. They're being asked to stay hydrated, remain in the shade where possible and check on people who may be vulnerable to the heat.

The Italian Health Ministry has issued a 'red alert' for heat in 22 cities across the country, including here in Rome. Some regions in the country have banned people from working outside during the hottest parts of the day to protect people's health.

Countries including Portugal have issued warnings over the risk of fires breaking out. That's already the case in Greece where people have had to evacuate from their homes in coastal towns near the capital Athens. Homes have been destroyed and work is still ongoing to control the situation.

Meanwhile back here in the UK there are yellow and amber alerts in place for parts of England over the weekend with London expected to reach temperatures of 35C on Monday. The heatwave is expected to last until Tuesday evening. Check out our tips on keeping yourself safe in the heat here.