Deadly heat is searing parts of Europe as wildfires and heatwaves pose threats to life after one boy died of heatstroke in Italy.
The four-year-old Romanian youngster died on Monday just days after being found unconscious in his family’s car in Sardinia.
The unnamed boy was airlifted to a Rome hospital but died of irreversible brain damage, the hospital said.
The tragedy comes after Italy’s health ministry issued a red alert warning for seven major cities, including Bologna and Florence.
Some 11 spots are also on red alert for Tuesday, and 16 cities on Wednesday, while around 190 firefighters and the army continue to tackle a wildfire on Mount Vesuvius that caused the closure of the national park to tourists.
Dramatic footage showed flames engulfing the volcano in Naples as firefighting teams both on ground and in the air rushed to the scene.
Meanwhile, temperature records were broken in at least four weather stations in southern France, as the government called for vigilance.
The southwestern city of Bordeaux hit a record 41.6C while all-time records were also broken at meteorological stations in Bergerac, Cognac and Saint Girons, according to the national weather service, Meteo France.