Western Europe is bracing for an intense, dangerous, and possibly even deadly heat wave this week, with temperatures due to soar as high as 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 Fahrenheit, according to reports by www.sciencealert.com and www.businessinsider.com.
Countries including France, Spain, and Portugal are expecting record-breaking temperatures starting Wednesday, while the rest of the continent is also set to face temperatures much higher than normal.
It's not clear when the heat wave will end.
Scientists have attributed the soaring temperatures to the combination of a storm over the Atlantic Ocean and high pressure over central Europe, which is importing hot air from the Sahara.
The heat wave is expected to peak between Wednesday and Friday, when a swath from Spain to Poland is expected to see temperatures at least 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (11 to 17 degrees Celsius) above normal.
Actual temperatures should surge to at least 95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 40 degrees Celsius) over a sprawling area.
Some locations could be even hotter, especially within cities where a "heat island" effect from asphalt and concrete increases temperatures.
Mika Rantanen, a meteorologist in Finland, described computer model forecasts for the intensity of the heat "totally unheard of for June" in France.
Early summer heat waves can be especially lethal, as people have not yet had time to acclimatize to the higher temperatures. Older adults, the homeless and those without air conditioning are most susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
"Heat waves are silent killers," tweeted Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at Potsdam University.
"The 2003 European heat wave has caused about 70,000 fatalities. Last year's hot summer in Germany has been estimated to have caused at least 1,000 excess deaths."
