Europe heatwave: two dead in Spain, France hits record high of 45.1C

Temperatures in France hit a record high on Friday, as Europe swelters in a heatwave blamed for several deaths, including a 17-year-old farm worker in Spain.

Much of Europe basked in an early summer heatwave as several countries have reported record temperatures this week. 

France hit its all-time heat record: 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) in the small southern town of Villevieille, according to the weather service.

Temperatures in some parts of Spain are expected to soar to more than 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) on Friday.  A major wildfire raged in Spain, sparked when a pile of chicken dung spontaneously combusted in the heat.

TRT World's Philip Owira has more. 

Heat-related deaths

A Spanish teenager felt dizzy while helping harvest wheat in the southern Andalusia region.

After a dip in a swimming pool to cool off, he collapsed with convulsions and was rushed to the hospital in the town of Cordoba where he later died, the regional government said.

Elsewhere in Spain, a 93-year-old man collapsed and died on the street in the northern city of Valladolid, police said, who gave heatstroke as the cause of death.

Heat-related deaths have also been reported in Italy, France and Germany, mainly among the elderly.

In France's Montpellier, 81-year-old Suzette Allegre was up early to do her shopping.

Early morning, "the sun is already burning hot and you can smell the pollution," she shared, saying she was rushing home to barricade herself indoors.

The area surrounding Montpellier and the nearby city of Nimes — where the 2003 record was set — was placed on the highest alert level on Friday, as were Marseille and Avignon.

Most school outings were called off in the four areas and all sports classes cancelled.

A deadly few days 

French health minister Agnes Buzyn warned those tempted to plunge into cold water, both young and old, to do so only in designated public bathing areas, adding that four people had drowned since the beginning of the week.

On Thursday, Buzyn complained that despite a barrage of public health warnings on radio, TV and on public transport, some parents were still leaving their children in hot cars and joggers seen exercising in the midday heat.

Also Thursday, a six-year-old Syrian child was seriously injured after being catapulted into the air by water gushing from an open fire hydrant and then crashing to the ground.

The incident occurred in Saint-Denis neighbourhood north of Paris, where "uncapping" hydrants has long been used as a way to cool off.

In the Italian city of Milan, a 72-year-old homeless man was found dead at the main train station on Thursday after falling ill due to the heatwave.

And a day earlier, at least four people died in Germany in bathing accidents.

Flaming manure 

In Spain, firefighters were continuing to battle a large forest fire in the northeastern Catalonia region.

Catalonia's forest service said the fire likely began when an "improperly managed" pile of manure at a chicken farm spontaneously combusted in the extreme heat.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by troops and aerial water bombers were trying to bring it under control.

They were hampered by roasting 44-degree temperatures and very low humidity according to David Borrell, head of the Catalan fire department.

Spain's northeast was on red heatwave alert denoting "extreme risk."

The stifling temperatures have caused air quality to nosedive in some European cities, prompting local authorities to take anti-pollution measures.

In Paris, Lyon and Marseille, authorities have banned the most-polluting cars from the roads in recent days.