In the city of Mora in Portugal's inland, 46.6 degrees were measured on Sunday - the warmest temperature ever measured in June in the country, writes the newspaper Diário de Notícias.
Also in Spain, a new record was set when the village of El Granado in Andalusia measured 46 degrees on Saturday. As the temperatures are higher than usual for the season, authorities have issued both warnings and safety recommendations for residents and tourists.
It feels like Madrid is getting warmer and warmer every year, says 32-year-old Diego Radames to AFP.
"New normal"
Two people are reported to have died due to the heat in Spain. A woman in Barcelona is said to have collapsed and then died on Saturday evening, and in Mallorca, a tourist is reported to have died of heatstroke.
The heat is expected to persist for several days and new peak levels are predicted on Wednesday, before rain moves in over some areas.
"Extreme heat is no longer something unexpected - it's the new normal", writes the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on X on Monday from Seville in Spain.
Schools are closed
In France, 200 schools are completely or partially closed on Monday, while heat wave warnings remain. In the majority of the French mainland's regions, heat warnings have been issued. The country's Minister of Education, Élisabeth Borne, urges school leaders to avoid using the most heat-exposed classrooms and to "avoid physical activity", reports French media.
And in the neighboring country Italy, several regions are considering stopping outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day.
As a consequence of the high temperatures, authorities in several countries have issued warnings of a risk of forest fires, including in Greece and Turkey.
