Two children have tragically been found dead in a car in France as Europe is roasted by a heat dome that is pushing parts of the continent to 45C. The ⁠spike in temperatures is being driven by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara, fuelled by a strong high‑pressure ​system known as the 'African anticyclone.'Meteorologists say the system is creating a so‑called 'heat dome,' trapping hot air over western and central Europe and ​allowing temperatures to build day after day.France is being hit with the worst of the weather, with much of the western and central regions of the nation expecting to blast past 40C today. This afternoon, two children were found dead in a car in the small southern French town of Carpentras. The children, aged just two and four, were found in a family car which was in a residential parking lot in the Bois de l'Ubac neighbourhood of the town. Police were called just after 1pm local time. 'The causes of death are yet to be determined, but the heatwave is the leading line of inquiry,' said Helene Mourges, the prosecutor in the town of Carpentras, where temperatures had been forecast to reach a maximum of 39C.Mourges added: 'Their mother found them early on Monday afternoon.' Hervé de Lépinau, the Mayor of Carpentras, said he was 'absolutely stunned by the tragedy'. Harsh temperatures are expected to linger until at least Thursday, with conditions possibly intensifying as the week continues. The European heat dome comes after a May that saw several countries report record temperatures for that time of year. Weather bosses have put 49 of the 96 mainland departments on a red alert weather warning, up from 35 over the weekend. Forecasters warned that scorching weather could end up being as serious as a 2003 heatwave that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 people nationwide. PARIS: Parisians cool off under a mist sprayer during the heatwave on June 21, 2026 PARIS: People sunbathe on the banks of the River Siene on June 22, 2026 PARIS: People took to the city's parks to enjoy the warm weather on June 22, 2026