Two die of fire in Spain, two others in France from the heat

Fires have left two people dead in Spain, and two others have died in France due to a heat wave that has swept Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor in a Swiss thermal power plant.

With burning temperatures again Wednesday, Spanish officials said a fire in Catalonia had killed two people a day earlier, and France's energy minister reported two deaths with a direct link to the heat wave, with 300 others sent to the hospital, Reuters reports.

Italy issued red alarm for 18 cities due to extreme heat and Turkey has been facing fires in what meteorologists call an extraordinary “heat wave because it has come so early in Europe's summer.

Authorities in the Spanish town of Barcelona said on Tuesday they were also considering whether the death of a weekend street janitor was related to heat.

Spain experienced its hottest June ever recorded this year, and France had its hottest June since 2003, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Rourer said.

Weather forecaster Meteo France said red alarms remained for several areas of central France, but the heat was being eased to the west, although intense storms with possible severe rainfall outbreaks were expected in many parts of the birth.

Maximum temperatures are expected around 39 Celsius (102.2°F), up to 34 °C in Paris, and 36 °C to 38 °C in Strasbourg, Lyon, Grenoble and Avignon.

In Italy, Florence was expected to carry its heat load at a maximum temperature of 39 °C during the day. Red alarms were issued in 18 cities, including Milan and Rome.

The Swiss utility Akpo closed a reactor unit at the Beznau nuclear power plant and halved production to another Tuesday due to the river's high water temperature./Periscopi/