Heat hits Europe

Sun-drenched tourists sought solace in the fountains of Rome and Tour de France cyclists peeled back their bodysuits yesterday as Europe shimmered in a blistering heat wave.

Even Britain belied its reputation as a country where the sun never shines. Bookmakers said there was a chance temperatures would hit a symbolic 37°C (100°F) this week for the first time since records began.

France experienced a scorching Bastille Day, prompting thousands of Parisians to flock to the city's elegant parks and open air pools.

The heat seeped as far north as Finland, where the temperature hit 29.8°C in the southeastern town of Utti. Meteorologists said the average there at this time of year is a mere 19°C.

The Swiss banned fishing in several of their cantons as the heat caused oxygen levels to drop, endangering the lives of trout in the country's rivers and streams. In some areas fish were being moved to oxygen-richer waters.

In neighbouring Germany, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper warned that if Europe continues to experience hotter, drier weather, Berlin and the surrounding Brandenburg region could become a desert by the middle of this century.

"Already parts of Brandenburg have become Steppe-like," it said in a report on global warming.

The British indulged in their national sport - talking about the weather - but for once, the conversation did not revolve around rain.

Bookmakers William Hill cut their odds against a 100F reading from 16/1 to an all-time low of 14/1.

"Even in the sweltering summer of 1976 the odds never dipped below 16/1," spokesman Graham Sharpe said. "But we're already fearing a six-figure payout if it happens this year.