A deadly wildfire has broken out in Spain and the top of the Eiffel Tower has been closed in Pairs – which was placed on red alert on Tuesday – as southern Europe swelters through a brutal heatwave.

Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) 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 Paris, blistering heat led the Eiffel Tower to close its summit and remind prospective visitors to take precautions. In London, the Wimbledon tennis tournament saw its hottest opening day on record,