Some parts of Western Europe were starting to cool off as the extreme heat that has gripped the continent moved east.

A marine heat wave in the Mediterranean is combining with a powerful heat dome to cause Europe to swelter under a brutal early summer heat wave.

Europe’s heat wave is set to peak over the coming days, with a blast of Saharan air triggering red alerts from France to the Swiss Alps.

Punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris and to stay unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands. In contrast, temperatures were falling in Portugal, where no red heat warnings were issued.

Europe is currently experiencing its first major heatwave of the summer, with cities including Paris, Rome, The Hague, and Barcelona facing temperatures well above the seasonal average. Following a notably dry spring,