Temperatures are set to rocket above a scorching 40 degrees celsius (C) in Europe this week, as the continent braces for the hottest weather of the year so far. European countries have restricted public drinking, cancelled transport, concerts, and sporting events, and are preparing to close schools as they urge people to take extreme precaution in what is likely to be a deadly heatwave. In France, three people have died as extreme heat strikes the country, forcing nearly 2,700 schools to plan closure with temperatures in Bordeaux expected to exceed 42C on Monday. "We’re heading for, at the very least, several days of very, very hot weather. We don’t know when temperatures will start falling," French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on TV channel TF1.Festivalgoers rest and seek shade under trees during the heatwave at the Hellfest festival site in Clisson, Loire-Atlantique, France, June 21, 2026 (AFP/Getty)France’s weather agency, Meteo France, said 49 regional administrative areas will be under a red heatwave warning on Monday. The Eiffel Tower and other venues in Paris have set up misting stations as authorities look to minimise risks for tourists. Meanwhile, French authorities banned alcohol consumption during the annual Fête de la Musique, a country-wide music festival, to “allow medical staff to focus on caring for the most vulnerable”. The heatwave comes after the World Health Organisation’s Europe office said that more than 200,000 people have died across Europe from heat-related causes over the last four years. Three elderly people, aged between 80 and 95, died over the weekend in the Bordeaux region as a result of health issues caused by the current heatwave in France, local government official Sophie Brocas told France TV late on Sunday.Women shelter from the sun with parasols on June 21, 2026 in Seville, Spain (Getty)On Monday, Europe was the continent suffering the most extreme difference in temperature, with an average high temperature of 24C - 4.1C above what was typical from 1961-1990. This is compared to 2C above in Asia and 1.3C above in North America. The UK’s Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat on Wednesday and Thursday, with serious illness and danger to life expected as the unusual temperatures have a “population-wide adverse health effect”. Aemet, the Spanish state weather agency, has issued a red weather alert for the Basque country - which is typically the cooler, northern part of the country - with temperatures in San Sebastian set to reach a high of 40C, more than double its historic average for June 22, according to Reuters news agency’s Climate Monitor. The region has cancelled some sports and cultural events, according to local reports. Workers hold bottles of water walking past a construction site in Paris as temperatures rise during a heatwave affecting a large part of France (Reuters)This would also be hotter than Spain’s southern cities of Seville and Cordoba, which normally record the country's most intense summer heat."We are seeing temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees above normal for this time of year, and in some northern areas even more than 10 degrees above average," Aemet spokesperson Rubén del Campo said. Nighttimes are set to provide little relief in some parts of Spain, with temperatures failing to drop below 25C or even 30C in places like the southwestern province of Almeria.Madrid said it is monitoring whether companies are complying with laws that allow workers to reduce or adjust their working hours when orange or red weather alerts are issued. Workers are also entitled to up to four days of paid leave if they are unable to reach their workplace due to weather conditions, it said.