Tens of thousands of households in France were left without electricity as a record-breaking heatwave gripped large parts of Europe on Wednesday, with soaring temperatures overwhelming infrastructure, triggering health warnings and prompting authorities across the continent to issue alerts as extreme weather intensified.

Rail services, schools and sports events hit, with deaths of three elderly people in France partly blamed on intense heat

Europe faces record-breaking heatwave as temperatures soar past 40C, forcing school closures, travel disruption and urgent health warnings across the continent.