DEADLY HEAT GRIPS FRANCE, REPORTS OF THREE FATALITIES

PARIS, JUNE 22 /SRNA–Reuters/ – Three elderly people have died as a result of extreme heat in France, while thousands of schools have been closed or have adjusted their schedules after authorities issued heatwave warnings.

Temperatures in Bordeaux, southwestern France, are forecast to exceed 42 degrees Celsius today.

France's meteorological agency, Meteo-France, said that 49 administrative regions would be placed under red heatwave alerts.

Meteorologists in the United Kingdom said temperatures could break the June record this week and surpass 39 degrees Celsius. The current record of 35.6 degrees Celsius was set in 1957 and 1976.

In Spain, the national meteorological agency AEMET issued a red alert for the Basque Country region.

Temperatures in San Sebastian are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius today, more than double the city's historical average for June 22.

In Italy, heatwave alerts have been issued for 12 cities today, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome.

The Red Cross in Milan has urged elderly residents and people with health conditions to visit the organization's cooling center, where air conditioning is powered by solar panels.

Near Rome's Pantheon, tourists were seen dipping hats into fountains, splashing water on their faces, and placing wet towels around their necks, while others sought refuge in air-conditioned restaurants.