Barcelona has recorded its hottest month of June since records began more than a century ago, Spain's national weather service says as Europe remains in the grip of the first major heatwave of the summer.
The Fabra Observatory, located on a hill overlooking Barcelona, reported an average temperature of 26C, breaking records since 1914.
The previous hottest average for June was 25.6C in 2003.
The same weather station said a single-day high of 37.9C for June was recorded on Monday.
Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean in Spain's northeastern corner.
But most of the country has been gripped by the first heat wave of 2025.
Health warnings were in effect on Tuesday in several European Union countries even as conditions began to improve in some parts of the region.
Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40C in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In contrast, temperatures were falling in Portugal, where no red heat warnings were issued.
In France, the national weather agency Meteo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert, with the Paris region particularly hard hit.
The heatwave, defined as consecutive days of very high temperature, is expected to intensify on Tuesday with more than 1300 schools set to be partially or fully closed.
Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit of the city's landmark was closed until Thursday.
Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date.
By 2100, France could be up to 4C warmer, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year and extreme heat spikes potentially reaching 50C.
Further south, 17 of Italy's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave.
There were torrential rains in Italy's north on Monday and parts of Bardonecchia near Turin were covered in sludge after the Frejus river burst its banks.
Near Bologna, one of the cities under a heat alert Tuesday, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school car park, state-run RAI reported.
An annual event in Amsterdam to commemorate the end of slavery in former Dutch colonies was moved forward to avoid the hottest part of the day and in the northern city of Groningen, organisers of an outdoor concert featuring veteran rocker Neil Young also took measures, including adding extra drinking water taps and providing free sunblock.