The heat is being fostered by sprawling and long-lasting high pressure. Under high pressure, rain tends to be tough to come by. This has led to an increase in drought in the United Kingdom, which had its driest first half of summer on record, and contributed to a record wildfire season in Sweden. A significant concern is that the blistering heat could stoke explosive wildfires over Portugal in the days ahead, and it is also anticipated that fire conditions will grow in other parts of Europe including Scandinavia heading into next week.<doc-sep>EUROPE is braced for its hottest day since records began today with temperatures likely to soar above the 118F high set 40 years ago. Thousands of Brit holidaymakers and expats in Spain and Portugal will pile on to packed beaches as the heatwave peaks. 24 Busy Benidorm will be too hot for many Brits abroad on Scorchio Saturday Credit: EPA 24 Brits could bake in sizzling temperatures this weekend as thousands descend on Bestival in Dorset Credit: Apex News Bestival kicked on Thursday and revellers are set for a sizzling weekend A Spanish plume has called temperatures to soar 24 Thousands lapped up the sunshine yesterday at the Dorset festival Credit: Apex News The blistering sunshine is widely tipped to pass the 118.4F (48C) recorded in Athens, Greece, on July 10, 1977. And the deadly scorcher — driven by an African plume carrying Saharan dust with it — will spark a mini-revival of Britain’s heatwave with temperatures of 88F (31C) expected all weekend. But it could also lead to a humanitarian crisis across Europe with the number of heat-related deaths likely to rise among the old and sick. 24 Adults and children make the most of water jets in Madrid to cool off Credit: AP:Associated Press European heatwave on verge of all-time record temperatures as health warning issued of Sahara Desert dust 24 Cooling off... Two women jump into the sea in San Sebastien, Spain Credit: AP:Associated Press Heatwave warning for Brits in southern Spain as experts predict Europe could see HOTTEST EVER day with temperatures topping 48C 24 A temperature of almost 122F (50C) was recorded in Badajoz, South West Spain yesterday The Red Cross has already sent volunteers to the areas most at risk in southern Spain and Portugal. And their emergency services have issued a red alert, drafting in extra medical staff and firefighters to cope with the threat. The highest temperature recorded to date in Spain is 117F (47.3C). It'll be a Brit hot TEMPERATURES will rocket in Britain this weekend and well into next week as the heatwave heads north. They were already climbing yesterday, with London and the South East reaching 91F (32.8C). However, thunderstorms hit parts of the North, with up to 1.5in of rain falling in just three hours. Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell said: “It’s going to be dry and sunny, particularly in the South East, for the weekend. The North will be a little cloudier.” Meanwhile, it has been so hot that gran Millie Smith has grown bananas in her North London garden. Millie, 82, from Edmonton, said: “I was very excited.” And naked tombstoner Luke Harris, 24, was fined £250 for jumping into the sea at Ilfracombe, Devon. The Sun’s Amy Jones was in Badajoz, South West Spain yesterday — where her thermometer recorded a temperature of almost 122F (50C) in the sunshine. Official temperatures are taken in the shade. Amy said: “Stepping from our air-conditioned car, I’m almost immediately drenched in sweat. 24 The Sun's Amy Jones took a thermometer to Spain to test the heat Credit: Paul Edwards The Sun Hollie Foster and Millie Stibbs enjoy the sunshine 24 A holidaymaker applies sun cream during a heatwave in Lisbon Credit: Paul Edwards The Sun “The thermometer reads almost 50C and my skin prickles like I’m in a dry sauna. It’s utterly scorchio. “There’s no one to be seen and the streets are silent and empty. With the unbearable temperature it feels a bit like I’m in a post-apocalyptic movie. “A town usually buzzing with locals and tourists is empty as everyone cowers inside. “After just ten minutes exposed to the sunshine I was starting to feel woozy and ever so slightly delirious. 24 A man holds a bottle of water up to refresh himself in Toledo, Spain Credit: EPA A bikini-clad woman basks in the searing heat on a Lisbon beach 24 A sunbather makes the most of the weather in Hyde Park Credit: WENN “It was as though my brain was being gently cooked, and slowly, slowly, beginning to stop working properly. "There’s only one way to beat this heat — and that’s to stay out of it.” More than a million Brits could be caught up in the heatwave. That includes nearly 300,000 expats in Spain. The Association of British Travel Agents urged tourists to take greater care amid the heatwave. An Abta spokesman said: “Take a lead from the locals and avoid spending time in the sun during the hottest part of the day, drink lots of water and apply plenty of sun cream. 24 A man takes action to cool down in Valencia, Spain Credit: Reuters 24 Portugal and neighbouring Spain's southern coasts are set to turn into a furnace as hot African air blows northwards Credit: Alamy 24 Temperatures across Southern Spain are set to hit 48C this week as the European heatwave continues Credit: EPA “If you go to the beach, go early and when it feels like it’s getting too hot, leave — just as the locals do — and have a nice lunch in the shade. “They do this because they know how powerful the sun can get in the hottest part of the day and they do everything they can to avoid it.” 24 La Concha beach in Spain was packed on Friday Credit: AP:Associated Press Brits enjoy the warm Summer weather at Bournemouth beach In neighbouring Portugal, where almost 50,000 British expats live, nearly 11,000 volunteer firefighters, police and soldiers were ready to deal with wildfires. The country is desperate to prevent a repeat of last year’s devastating fires, which killed 114. 24 Wildfires took off in Portugal on Friday night Credit: EPA 24 Authorities in Portugal were well prepared and tried to immediately douse the fires Credit: EPA Elsewhere in Europe, France is expected to see highs of 104F (40C), with other Mediterranean areas close to 100F (37C). In Paris yesterday, Brit David Jones and his wife ignored “no bathing” signs outside the Louvre Museum to cool off in the fountains. He said: “We’re here for two days, so we’re going for it.” 24 A young girl freshens up in a fountain in Paris Credit: Reuters 24 Children in Paris splash about to escape the burn of the intense city heat Credit: Reuters In Switzerland, mountain railways reported booming business as city workers fled to the Alps to cool off. Swiss soldiers will also be allowed to wear shorts and T-shirts instead of their regular uniforms. Even Scandinavian countries are being affected. 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Simple thumb tests can reveal if you’re at risk of deadly heart problem 24 Albufeira beach in Portugal in Friday's blazing heat Credit: Rex Features Sweden has warned of a high risk of wildfires amid rising temperatures and strong winds. Officials at the country’s Civil Contingencies Agency are also warning of a “greater danger to life and health”. And in Finland’s capital Helsinki temperatures have soared well above the 66F (19C) average and hit 86F (30C). It was so hot that one supermarket invited 100 customers to spend a night in its air-conditioned aisles. 24 People enjoy a hot summer day in Helsinki Credit: Lehtikuva<doc-sep>
Portugal's weather agency said Friday that eight places in the center, south and east of the country experienced record-breaking local temperatures the previous day, as the Iberian peninsula bears the brunt of a heat wave across the European continent. Two people in neighboring Spain are reported to have died amid the heat, with climate scientists saying such periods of scorching temperatures in Europe have been made twice as likely by the effects of global warming caused by human activity. Temperature records broken The temperature reached 45.2 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) near Abrantes, a town 159 km (99 miles) northeast of Lisbon Portugal's highest-ever recorded temperature was in 47.4 Celsius in 2003 The record for continental Europe is 48 Celsius in Greece in 1977 Forecasters say temperatures in Portugal are expected to peak at 47 Celsius in some places on Saturday Two men, a 40-year-old and a 78-year-old, have died this week in Spain, both after working outside Prolonged heat wave Many other European countries are also suffering unusually extended periods of very hot weather. The current heat wave in the Netherlands is the longest-ever recorded, while Sweden has experienced its hottest July in more than 250 years, accompanied by wildfires across the country. Germany has also been hit by hot weather, with fires breaking out in the national park of Saxon Switzerland in the eastern state of Saxony on Thursday evening. The drought is so bad in northern Germany that a kindergarten burned down in the far north after firefighters couldn't get enough water. No one has been killed or injured. Some 140 firefighters are involved in putting out the flames in Saxon Switzerland tj/kms (AP, dpa) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.