The southwestern French city of Bordeaux saw its highest ever temperature since records began of 41.2 degrees Celsius (106.16 Fahrenheit) Tuesday,  weather service Meteo-France said.

France and western Europe were Tuesday bracing for a new record-breaking heatwave that is forcing the temporary shutdown of a French nuclear power station and will test competitors in the legendary Tour de France cycle race.

Parisians were on Monday bracing for potentially the hottest ever temperature in the French capital this week as a new heatwave blasted into northern Europe that could set records in several countries.

Americans braced for a second -- and equally scorching -- day of dangerously hot weather Sunday, with daytime temperatures forecast to approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) across a number of major US cities.

The United States is bracing for a weekend of extremely hot weather, with major cities including New York and Washington expecting temperatures close to or exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded Friday that her government was driven to act faster on climate change by young activists like teenaged Greta Thunberg, who was speaking at rally in Berlin the same day.

Israel sent teams of firefighters and planes Thursday to contain a blaze near Jerusalem as record temperatures fueled wildfires across the country.

A toxic cane toad prevalent in Australia's tropical north has been captured near Sydney, sparking fears the invasive species could be adapting to cooler weather and spreading southwards, further threatening the country's unique wildlife.

The whoosh of wings disturbs the quiet of an abandoned, pitch-black maze of corridors next to the Jordan River in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Temperatures hit a record 69.8 degrees Fahrenheit in Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited spot on the planet less than 600 miles from the North Pole, the Canadian meteorology service said Tuesday.