Health and fire warnings have been issued in countries across southern Europe, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C in some places over the weekend.
Italy, Greece, France, Spain and Portugal are among the countries affected – with the Spanish city of Seville forecast to hit 42C today.
Hot air from North Africa, which is spreading across the Balkans to holiday destinations such as Croatia, is contributing to the soaring temperatures.
BBC Weather said the heatwave is “very intense” for this time of the year – with the continent normally experiencing such high temperatures in July and early August.
In Spain, emergency staff have been placed on standby to deal with a surge in heatstroke cases especially among vulnerable people, including children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
“It always gets super hot in Madrid, what surprises me is how early it’s happening – we’re still in June,” Marina, 22, told the Reuters news agency in the Spanish capital.
“This year is extreme. Last year, at least you could go out at this hour, but now? No way.
It’s intense, and people are drinking more water,” Janeth, 47, said.
Italian authorities are advising residents in several cities, including Rome, Milan and Venice – where several A-list celebrities have gathered for the wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and TV presenter Lauren Sanchez – to stay indoors between 11:00 and 18:00 local time.
“There is no wind, a lot of humidity, we are sweating, and I’m suffocating at night,” Alejandra Echeverria, a 40-year-old Mexican tourist in Venice, told AFP.
France, meanwhile, has been experiencing a heatwave for more than a week. Orange heat alerts, the country’s second-highest warning, were issued for southern regions on Friday.
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