Portugal - 117.1F; France - 108.8F: North Cooler, South Still Baking

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Europe's heatwave sears its way into the record books
Tue Aug 12, 7:49 AFP

PARIS (AFP) - "A heatwave that has set all-time record temperatures in many countries pushed much of Europe to the brink, overloading pwer plants, filling hospitals and fuelling new forest fires while governments struggled to cope.

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France on Tuesday recorded its highest temperature since the heatwave began, with the mercury rising to 42.6 degrees Celsius (108.8 Fahrenheit) in the southeastern town of Orange. The last time such a high temperautre was registered in France was in the summer of 1982, when the southeastern town of Luc recorded 42.7 degrees.

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Forecasters said that northern Europe would likely see a respite Thursday and Friday, although temperatures may well rise again afterwards and southern Europe would continue to swelter.

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Portugal has suffered the highest temperatures, recording a mighty 47.3 degrees Celsius (117.1 degrees Fahrenheit) on August 1 in Amarelejo, on the Spanish border - the hottest temperature since records began in 1856. New all-time highes were also recorded in Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and often-gloomy Britain . . . "

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AFP via Yahoo News