Europe heatwave live: UK braces for record-breaking temperatures; Italy issues red alert for 16 cities

Europe is braced for another day of an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed records in many countries. Italy’s health ministry has declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities for Wednesday, including Milan and Rome, and in the UK, temperatures are expected to reach 40C in some areas. The extreme weather is being driven by atmospheric and circulation patterns that keep hot air trapped in place for days, causing the mercury to slowly rise, with these factors exacerbated by global heating, experts say. People swim at Canal Saint-Martin to cool off on Tuesday. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images The UK is braced for record-breaking temperatures, with schools to close and people urged not to travel. Temperatures could hit 40C on Wednesday and Thursday in some parts of England and Wales and a red weather warning for extreme heat is in place covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham. On Tuesday, France registered its hottest day on record as 40 people across the country were confirmed to have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas over the last few days. More than 90% of the French population is exposed to extreme heat – government data shows – with temperatures of 39C to 41C expected on Wednesday from Brittany to the Paris region, and in much of the south-west. From Wednesday until at least Friday, central and southern Netherlands will be under a code orange for extreme heat. …