As schools in France closed or modified their schedules, forecasters in Britain predicted temperatures could break June records this week.
The temperature in Bordeaux in France's western wine country rose to 41.9 C, breaking a record set last August. In Poitiers, in central France, it reached 41.2 C, surpassing a previous high set in 1947.
In San Sebastián, in Spain's traditionally cooler north, the temperature was expected to reach 40 C, more than double the city's historic average for June 22, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor. The monitor showed Europe as the continent furthest from its historic norm on Monday.
An April report by the World Meteorological Organization found Europe is warming at more than double the global rate.
