Europe Sweltering in Record Heat Wave

Maya and 18-month-old Euan, Asian elephants keep themselves cool in the elephant pool at Whipsnade Zoo, England, Wednesday July 19, 2006, as temperatures in southern England soared, by mid-afternoon, the temperature at Charlwood, near London's Gatwick Airport, hit 35.9 Celsius (96.6 Fahrenheit) _ the hottest temperature ever recorded in Britain in July. Commuters facing journeys on London's Underground railways without air conditioning seemed particularly troubled, by the high temperatures with London's Evening Standard newspaper measuring temperatures in the carriages at 47 Celsius (117 Fahrenheit). Operator Transport for London did not dispute the figure _ though it says it takes no temperature measurements of its own. (AP Photo/ Max Nash) (Max Nash - AP)

LONDON -- Lions licked blood-flavored ice blocks in the zoo, judges went wigless in court and guards at Buckingham Palace ducked into the shade.

Britain faced the hottest day ever recorded in July on Wednesday as a heat wave swept much of Europe. Temperatures hit 96.6 degrees south of London _ so hot some road surfaces melted.

Two people died in Spain as temperatures climbed above 104 degrees, while officials in France said as many as nine people who died recently were believed to be victims of the heat.

But with its aging buildings and infrequent brushes with sweltering temperatures, Britain was particularly ill-equipped for the heat wave.

London's Underground has no air conditioning and the Evening Standard newspaper measured temperatures in the train system at 117 degrees. Operator Transport for London takes no measurements but did not dispute the figure.

"I don't even want to talk about it," said Jean Thurgood of east London, fanning herself frantically on a stuffy bus. "It feels like the hottest day of the century."

Construction workers in northwest England, meanwhile, dumped crushed rocks on highways because the liquefying pavement was sticking to vehicles, Cumbria's county council said.

Across Europe, health officials warned people to stay out of the sun and to drink plenty of water.

In France, several days of dry heat and high temperatures _ which reached 97 degrees in Paris on Wednesday and 102 degrees in Bordeaux a day earlier _ recalled a heat wave in 2003, when 15,000 people died from dehydration and heat-related disorders. Many were elderly and were in some cases left alone while families vacationed.

Since then, France's government has adopted measures to avoid a repeat of the disaster. On Wednesday, French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin visited a retirement home to check on the prevention plan.

In Paris, heat-busters included four giant humidifiers placed around the Eiffel Tower, one at each foot, that sprayed passers-by with water vapor as they tried to escape the sun's punishing rays.

This week's victims of the heat in France likely included two people in their 80s who died Tuesday in the Bordeaux region, and a 53-year-old construction worker who collapsed in the central city of Macon.