Southern Europe roasts as temperatures soar

France, Italy, Portugal and Spain have been sweltering for several days as the mercury climbed to 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in some places. "This is unprecedented," Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France's ecology transition minister said as a record 84 of the nation's 96 mainland departments were placed on the second-highest "orange' heat alert. Only a small sliver of the country in the northwest was not sweltering, according to the Meteo France weather service, which said the heatwave was due to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday.