Austria: Austria recorded its highest temperature ever for the second time in 24 hours, with temperatures reaching 41.2 degrees Celsius in Deutsch Altenburg in the eastern state of Lower Austria.
According to Qatar News Agency, Austria's national weather service, GeoSphere Austria, said preliminary data showed the reading surpassed the 41.0°C recorded on Tuesday in the outskirts of Vienna.
Meteorologists do not expect conditions to improve in the eastern part of the country until Friday, while temperatures in western Austria are forecast to fall below 30°C on Thursday.
The extreme heat and prolonged drought are placing significant strain on grain production. According to an assessment by the Austrian Agricultural Market Organization, this year's grain harvest is expected to be substantially lower than usual.