PARIS 4 july 26— France is currently enduring some of the highest temperatures on Earth as a brutal, record-breaking heatwave grips Europe, pushing thermometers past the 40°C mark across large swathes of the country.

According to Météo-France, the nation has just experienced one of its hottest days in recorded history, shattering hundreds of local temperature milestones. The unprecedented emergency has forced officials to trigger maximum red alerts, close schools, and brace for severe wildfire risks while hospitals face mounting pressure from heat-related admissions.

The crisis is not isolated to France; a massive atmospheric "heat dome" is expanding across the continent, plunging Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal into similarly dangerous, life-threatening conditions.