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In pictures: Europe's June 2019 heatwave

Reuters A man does a handstand in the French city of Nice - 27 JuneReuters
Temperatures reached 40C in parts of southern France on Thursday

People across Europe are searching for ways to keep cool amid soaring temperatures.

A heatwave - caused by a plume of hot air from the Sahara, according to meteorologists - is sweeping parts of the continent, with Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic seeing their highest ever June temperatures on Wednesday, and intense heat in the southwest on Thursday.

As temperatures topped 40C (104F) in some parts of northern Spain, the region of Catalonia's worst wildfires in 20 years seemed likely to spread rapidly.

It looks likely it will get hotter still, with possible record temperatures in France in the coming days.

AFP Fires in Catalonia - 27 JuneAFP
The fire near the Catalan town of La Torre de l'Espanyol has already affected at least 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres)
AFP Grab from a video released on 27 June of firefighters tackling the Catalonia fireAFP
Firefighters have been battling the blazes since Wednesday
EPA A dog cools off in a fountain in Turin, Italy - 27 JuneEPA
Forecasts of 40C+ temperatures in northern Italy were not quite realised, but people and animals alike still needed to cool off
AFP A child cools off under a fountain in Montpellier, southern France - 27 JuneAFP
A child cools off under a fountain in Montpellier, southern France
Google A woman with a parasol visits El Retiro park in Madrid, Spain - 27 JuneGoogle
The Spanish capital Madrid avoided the hotter temperatures further north
AFP A keeper applies sun cream to a South American tapir "Bambou" at an animal park in GermanyAFP
An animal keeper ensures South American tapir "Bambou" is protected from the rays in Germany
AFP A jaguar cools off in a pool in Bordeaux-Pessac zoo in southwestern France - 26 JuneAFP
A jaguar took a plunge in a pool in Bordeaux-Pessac zoo in southwestern France on Wednesday
EPA People cool down at sunset in Lake Geneva - 26 JuneEPA
A man takes a picturesque sunset dip in Lake Geneva
AFP Tourists shelter from the sun with umbrellas in front of the Colosseum in Rome on June 25, 2019 during a heatwave.AFP
In Rome, umbrellas proved a popular way to hide from the soaring temperatures
AFP A man walks by as tourists take selfies on the French Riviera city of Nice on June 24, 2019, as temperatures soar to 33 degrees CelsiusAFP
In the French Riviera city of Nice, temperatures hit 33C on Monday
AFP A polar bear cools down with frozen fruit at Hannover Zoo in GermanyAFP
A polar bear cools down with frozen fruit at Hannover Zoo in Germany
DPA A man dives in an open air public pool in Straubing, southern Germany, where temperatures reached up to 34 degrees Celsius on June 26, 2019.DPA
Like many in Europe, this man in the German city of Straubing went for a swim on Wednesday as temperatures continued to rise
EPA A young boy runs through a fountain in HungaryEPA
A young boy puts a fountain to good use in Hungary
AFP A couple swim past a model boat at the Schwarzachtal lakes in southern GermanyAFP
A couple swim past a model boat at the Schwarzachtal lakes in southern Germany
EPA The Prague public soak up the sunEPA
The Prague public soak up the sun

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