Much of Europe is bracing for an intensifying heatwave that has already pushed temperatures to dangerous levels, triggering red alerts, transport disruption and emergency public health measures across several countries.

In France, more than half the country is under the highest-level weather warning as thermometers climb above 40C in some regions. In Paris, tourists and residents crowd around the Fontaine des Mers on Place de la Concorde, seeking relief in the spray as the capital swelters under a dome of stagnant, superheated air.

Authorities in the southwest department of Gironde have linked the deaths of three people in part to the extreme heat. Emergency services and military units are on heightened wildfire alert, public alcohol consumption has been restricted to reduce dehydration risks, and a number of outdoor sporting events have been cancelled.

The heat is also straining Europe’s transport networks. France has reduced rail services, particularly commuter lines around Paris, to limit the risk of overheated equipment and buckling tracks. Belgium’s national rail operator SNCB has cancelled some rush-hour trains to avoid breakdowns that could leave passengers stranded in stifling carriages.

Belgium’s meteorological institute warns that the coming days could bring the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the country. In Spain, the national weather service Aemet has issued alerts for “extremely high” temperatures, day and night, with some areas forecast to reach 44C. Madrid has cancelled large outdoor screenings and events, while the capital and surrounding regions remain on alert for both heat and violent thunderstorms.

Italy is also feeling the strain. Eight cities in the north and centre, including Turin, are under red alert, with inland temperatures nearing 39C. In city squares, people and pets crowd into fountains, turning historic landmarks into improvised cooling stations.

Scientists say the pattern is unmistakable. Akshay Deoras, a senior researcher at the University of Reading’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science, notes that human-driven climate change has “loaded the atmosphere with extra heat,” making today’s extremes far more intense than they would have been in the past.

Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe are estimated to have died from heat-related causes. With forecasters predicting more above-average temperatures in the weeks ahead, health authorities warn of a rising risk of heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke, particularly for the elderly, outdoor workers and those without access to cooling.