France records hottest day ever as Europe suffers brutal heat wave

France followed its hottest ever day with yet more brutal temperatures Wednesday as a deadly heat wave scorches much of western Europe.

PARIS — France followed its hottest ever day with yet more brutal temperatures Wednesday as a deadly heat wave scorches much of western Europe.

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Thousands of ​homes were hit by power cuts in northern France, while the punishing temperatures prompted the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum to restrict visiting hours.

Red alerts were also in place in Britain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland as the extreme early summer heat forced school closures, travel disruption and alarm about climate change across a region ill-equipped for such blistering conditions.