An intense heat wave is sweeping Europe, leading several Italian regions to ban outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day, while in France, dozens of schools were closed. At the same time, Spain confirmed that last June was the hottest in its history. The fierce heat has raised health alarms in many countries.

Meanwhile, authorities in Spain are investigating whether the death of a cleaning worker in Barcelona at the weekend was linked to the heatwave, while unions are blaming the heat for the death of a 47-year-old worker at a construction site near Bologna on Monday.

According to the EU’s climate change agency, Copernicus, Europe is warming fastest in the world, at twice the global average. Extreme heat waves are now occurring earlier in the year and lasting until late autumn.

“What is extraordinary – and I stress, extraordinary but not unprecedented – is the season,” said World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Claire Nallis. “We’re in early July, and we’re seeing episodes of extreme heat that usually occur later in the summer.”

She added that high temperatures in the Mediterranean “tend to amplify extreme temperatures in land areas”. According to the Spanish weather service AEMET, the temperature in the Mediterranean this year reached up to six degrees Celsius above the average for the season, reaching record highs of up to 30 degrees Celsius in the Balearic Sea due to the so-called “heat dome” that traps warm air over Europe.

Spain recorded its hottest June on record, with an average temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius.

Cool shelters and increased public health risks

To protect residents from the heatwave, the Red Cross has set up an air-conditioned “climate shelter” in Malaga in southern Spain.

In addition, temperatures in France are expected to peak on Tuesday, reaching 40-41 degrees Celsius in some areas and 36-39 degrees in many others, according to Météo-France. Sixteen counties will be put on the highest alert level by noon, while 68 will remain on the second-highest.

The number of schools fully or partially closed jumped to 1,350, up from about 200 on Monday, according to the education ministry. Meanwhile, the top floor of the Eiffel Tower will remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, with visitors urged to drink plenty of water.

In Italy, authorities have issued a red heat alert for 17 cities, including Milan and Rome. In Sicily, a 53-year-old woman with heart problems died while walking in the town of Bagheria, possibly from heat stroke, according to local news agencies.