A 'vicious' Saharan Bubble heatwave roasting Europe has claimed its first victims after three people died in France from suspected cold shock after diving into the sea from a hot beach. A 70-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday at Marseillan Plage, near Montpellier - the day the heatwave began - before a 62-year-old woman and a 75-year-old man died on Tuesday in the same region, it was revealed today. Temperatures of 102F (39C) are expected in central France today, rising to 113F (45C) by Friday, which would break the all-time record set in 2003 at 111F (44.1C). Nearly all of the country is on orange alert - the second-highest warning level after red. Dozens of schools have already shut across the country due to insufficient air conditioning while in Paris more than a million of the most polluting vehicles have been banned from the capital for the day, with the city especially prone to smog in heatwaves. Hot air blown in from North Africa by an unusually strong jet stream is roasting Europe in an early-June heatwave that has seen threat-to-life warnings issued across France, Germany and northern Spain. Forecasters have compared the conditions to the 2003 heatwave which occurred around the same time of year and killed an estimated 70,000 people across the continent. Early season heatwaves are considered more dangerous because people's bodies have not had time to adjust to summer conditions. June records are set to be broken this week in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In Britain, temperatures are expected to reach 80F (27C) amid muggy conditions today before climbing further at the weekend when highs of 93.2F (34C) are possible. Cooling off: A 'vicious' Saharan Bubble heatwave roasting Europe has claimed its first victims after three people died in France from suspected cold shock after diving into the sea from a hot beach. A woman is pictured enjoying the breeze next to a fountain in Berlin this afternoon A woman in a bikini walks through a water feature in Parc Andre Citroen as a heatwave gripped Paris today. Temperatures are set to rocket beyond 100F in France today - before climbing further at the end of the week Hot air blown in from North Africa by an unusually strong jet stream is roasting Europe in an early-June heatwave that has seen threat-to-life warnings issued across France, Germany and northern Spain. Sunbathers relax on La Concha beach in San Sebastian, Spain amid sweltering conditions today Feeling the heat: The Pope wipes his face with a tissue during his weekly general audience on St Peter's Square at the Vatican this morning amid rocketing temperatures Temperatures were climbing across Germany this morning with many taking to outdoor pools to cool off (pictured, a public pool in Berlin today) A plume of Saharan air is bringing scorching June temperatures across Europe, which are set to climb even further on Wednesday before peaking in some parts on Thursday and Friday In Britain, temperatures are expected to reach 80F (27C) amid muggy conditions today before climbing further at the weekend when highs of 88F (31C) are possible. Revellers arriving at Glastonbury festival today were wearing boots after torrential heavy rain earlier this week - but their attire will likely change when temperatures climb on Saturday Britain is also set for a blast of hot weather. Sunbathers are pictured in Boscombe, Dorset, this afternoon with forecasters predicting temperatures to top 90F this weekend Temperatures in Britain are set to top 77F (25C) Wednesday, with some forecasts predicting highs of 80F (27C) The majority of France (left) was issued with an orange heat warning - meaning danger to life even among healthy people - for the second day running on Wednesday. The majority of Germany (right) was also issued with a heat warning (in purple) advising people to take care in the sun In Trier, Germany, it reached 99F (37C) on Tuesday, with slightly cooler temperatures of 95F (35C) expected in Berlin today. Overnight temperatures peaked at 79F (26C), bringing no respite from the heat. Further north, in the state of Hesse, 38 swimmers, many of them children, who flocked to a swimming pool amid soaring temperatures suffered injuries due to an increased chlorine concentration in the water. Stefan Rahmstorf, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, tweeted: 'At our Potsdam station, operating since 1983, we're set to break the past June record by about 2C.' What is cold shock? Cold shock, otherwise known as hydrocution, occurs when the human body is subjected to a sudden decrease in temperature. It typically occurs when someone falls through ice into very cold water, but can be triggered when a body goes from a very hot place - like a beach - to cold water such as the sea. Hydrocution causes blood vessels to quickly constrict, placing strain on the heart. While this is not typically fatal, it can cause lethal cardiac arrests in people with heart conditions. Medics advise entering water slowly during heatwaves to avoid it. In bizarre scenes today, police in Brandenburg posted on Twitter two pictures of a moped-riding man clad in only his helmet and sandals. And in the south of the country, some female sunbathers who went topless at Munich's Isar river touched off a row as five fully-clad security men walked over to tell them to put their bikini tops back on, Sueddeutsche daily reported. Several other sunbathers nearby stood up for the women at the weekend, with one telling the newspaper: 'We took off our bikinis out of solidarity.' The south of France, where the three people died, has been among the regions worst affected by the European heatwave, with temperatures topping 92F (33C) on Tuesday. That will climb again to 99F (37C) today. The highest reliable June temperature previously recorded in France was 106.7F (41.5C) on June 21, 2003. The country's highest ever temperature, recorded in southern France on August 12 in the same year was 111.38F (44.1C). Guillaume Woznica, a French forecaster, said Meteo France was predicting temperatures as high as 113F (45C) on Friday. He added: 'The latest forecasts leave little room for doubt: we are heading for a new national record.' In Paris, vehicles carrying 'Crit'Air 3' stickers will be barred from roads. More than a million cars are registered in that category under the sticker scheme, which assigning vehicles with ratings from one to five based on how polluting they are. Level five vehicles have already been banned. Burly security guards ordered a group of women who were sunbathing topless on the banks of the Isar, Germany to put their bikini tops back on In Germany, rescue services urged people to look out for young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems who are at particular risk in high temperatures. Pictured: Young people cook off in a fountain in Lustgarten park, Berlin today Refreshing: Children cool down at the fountains of Parc Andre Citroen, during a heatwave in Paris, France, today People swim in the Eisbach river that runs through the English Garden in Munich, Germany amid soaring temperatures today In the shade: A tourist uses an umbrella to protect himself from the sun, as a heatwave hits Ronda, southern Spain Paris woke up to a thick cloud of smog on Wednesday as strong jet stream winds drew clouds of dust up from the Sahara A man stands in a park in Madrid at the start of a heatwave tipped to break records across Europe Taking the plunge: Swimmers cool off in the Eisbach river that runs through the English Garden in the German city of Munich A woman cools off in a water fountain in Madrid. Experts say such heatwaves early in the summer are likely to be more frequent as the planet heats up - a phenomenon that scientists have shown to be driven by human use of fossil fuels Two women resorted to standing next to sprinklers in front of the Chancellery during scorching conditions in Berlin, Germany, this morning Italy's health ministry, meanwhile, has issued a maximum red alert for heat for six cities on Thursday and for 16 on Friday, Ansa reports. Forecasters predict temperatures rising even above the record 2003 heat wave with more than 104F (40C) conditions expected in the worst hit areas. Officials warned against exposure to the sun between 11am and 6pm. Doctors in Rome have warned of possible health hazards caused by overflowing rubbish bins in city streets as the Italian capital struggles with a renewed waste emergency aggravated by the summer heat. Waste disposal is a decades-long problem for the Eternal City. Rome was left with no major site to treat the 1.7 million metric tons it produces every year when the Malagrotta landfill was closed in 2013. In Switzerland, a level four warning of severe danger is now in place for the Basel region, central Valais and Ticino with 102F (39C) forecast. In Poland, the interior ministry said 90 people have drowned this month while seeking to cool off in lakes or rivers. Likewise in Lithuania, 27 people were reported to have drowned so far as temperatures in the Baltic state soared. Meanwhile, about half of Spain's provinces are on alert for high temperatures, which are expected to rise as the weekend approaches. Large parts of western and central Europe sweltered in scorching weather Wednesday, with German authorities imposing autobahn speed limits amid fears of buckling road surfaces and some French schools staying closed as a precaution. Pictured: A woman cools off by a fountain in Berlin A stand-up paddler and a sailing boat make their way over the Ammersee lake as sun rises in Diessen, southern Germany, this morning. The country is facing baking conditions over the coming days People queue up at the entrance of a public bath in Berlin, Germany this morning. Weather warnings are in place across large parts of Europe Berlin residents could be seen cooling off in fountains and sprinklers this morning as temperatures crept up in the German capital The Montparnasse Tower covered by high levels of air pollution as seen from Meudon in Paris, France, on Wednesday People in bathing suits walk through the English Garden in Munich, Germany, as temperatures continue to soar today Stocking up: A man fills bottles with water for his dog at a fountain, as a heatwave hits Ronda, southern Spain Young people cool off in a fountain in Lustgarten park during sweltering heat in Berlin, Germany. Temperatures across Europe are set to soar to up to 104F French forecaster Ruben Hallali joked that a heat map of Spain this week looked like Edward Munch's The Scream in a tweet which has been widely-shared this week. It is not clear when the forecast covers The Saharan plume is also pulling up large amounts of dust which are due to make air pollution worse across Europe (pictured, the pollution forecast for Wednesday, left, and Thursday, right) Basque country in Spain was also placed under an orange heat warning, meaning danger to life, with other areas under a less-severe yellow warning The northeastern city of Zaragoza was forecast to be the hottest on Wednesday at 102F (39C), building to 111F (44C) on Saturday, according to the government weather agency AEMET. In southwestern Europe, however, some people had other reasons to complain during their summer vacation: the Portuguese capital Lisbon, on Europe's Atlantic coast, awoke cloudy and wet Wednesday. School exams due to take place later in the week in France have been cancelled to keep students safe, while officials at the women's World Cup - which is taking place in France - are considering letting players take water breaks during games to keep cool. French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that vigilance was the watchword for the week and insisted the 'whole government' was focused on the crisis. 'As you know, at times like these, sick people, pregnant women, infants and elderly people are the most vulnerable,' he said. 'So we must be vigilant with them and have prevention measures in place in order to intervene as quickly as possible.' French health minister Agnes Buzyn insisted that authorities 'are not scaremongering' over the heat, which has been compared to the 2003 heatwave which occurred around the same time of year. Early summer heatwaves are especially dangerous because people's bodies have not adjusted to seasonal norms, making them more deadly than heatwaves that occur in July or August. Festival-goers arrive on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, Britain today This was the scene in Boscombe, Dorset, today as temperatures started to rise on the south coast of Britain The Pope was seen dabbing his head and neck with a tissue as temperatures climbed at the Vatican in Italy this morning The Pope feels the heat in his cassock and dabs his neck with a tissue during sweltering conditions at the Vatican today In Spain, a TV weather presenter tweeted 'el infierno (hell) is coming', with the centre and northeast put on alert for soaring temperatures. Pictured: people cool off in a fountain in Madrid today Meteorologists have blamed a blast of hot air from northern Africa for the heatwave early in the European summer, which could send thermometers above 104F in France, Spain and Greece on Thursday and Friday. Pictured: Children cool off in Madrid today People brave heat to attend the general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Wednesday Bishops shelter from the sun as they wait for the start of Pope Francis' weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday Hot wheels: In bizarre scenes today, police in Brandenburg posted on Twitter two pictures of a moped-riding man clad in only his helmet and sandals A 70-year-old man died on Marseillan Plage, near Montpellier (pictured) on Monday, while two more people - a 62-year-old woman and 75-year-old man - died in the same region Tuesday Spanish forecaster Silvia Laplana tweeted this heat map of Spain on Monday, joking: 'El infierno (hell) is coming' England: Three day weather forecast shows a drastic improvement from the rain and thunder storms we have been experiencing is to come on Thursday Why are temperatures so high and conditions so dangerous? The heatwave sweeping Europe is being caused by a 2,000-mile wide plume of hot air dubbed the 'Saharan bubble' blown in from North Africa by an unusually strong jet stream. Early summer heatwaves are especially dangerous because people's bodies have not adjusted to seasonal norms, making them more deadly than heatwaves that occur in July or August. In particular officials have warned of the dangers of dehydration and heat-stroke while in Germany motorists have been warned of the dangers of 'blow-ups' on autobahns - when the road surface disintegrates and shreds car tyres. Those attempting to cool off quickly in the sea have also been warned of the dangers of cold shock - otherwise known as hydrocution. This occurs when the human body is subjected to a sudden decrease in temperature. It typically occurs when someone falls through ice into very cold water, but can be triggered when a body goes from a very hot place - like a beach - to cold water such as the sea. Parts of Europe, including north-eastern Germany are also at high risk for forest fires. Meanwhile, powerful winds from the south are also bringing with them a high concentration of small particles PM2.5 which stay in the air for a long time because they are so light. These fine particles can come from various sources including the likes of power plants, cars, airplanes, forest fires and dust storms. Fine particles tend to stay longer in the air than heavier particles, increasing the chances of humans and animals inhaling them. The 2003 heatwave led to the deaths of an estimated 70,000 people across Europe, and 15,000 in France alone. Britain is also set to swelter in temperatures above 86F (30C) following the past two days of widespread downpours and flooding. Spanish national forecaster AEMET has predicted temperatures of 104F (40C) in Toledo on Wednesday, climbing to 108F on Thursday and Friday. In Austria, Vienna's famous horses were taken off the streets Tuesday amid concerns they could overheat. Scientists say measurements show that heatwaves in Europe are becoming more frequent. Rahmstorf said 'monthly heat records all over the globe occur five times as often today as they would in a stable climate'. Officials across Europe have released guidelines for surviving the scorching weather and hospitals are on high-alert for a surge in admissions related to dehydration, heat-stroke and other weather-related conditions. In Germany, rescue services urged people to look out for young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems who are at particular risk in high temperatures. Authorities in Saxony-Anhalt, west of Berlin, imposed 60mph speed limits on the usually limit-free autobahns amid fears the heat could cause the road surface to disintegrate and shred car tyres, as it did in 2015. In Paris, officials pledged to open 'cool rooms' inside public buildings, set up temporary water fountains and leave the city's parks and gardens unlocked and accessible at night. City workers would also distribute water to the homeless and install fans in schools and nurseries. France's second city and key tourist hub Marseille has enforced temporary swimming bans on several beaches amid pollution concerns, disappointing locals and tourists hoping to take a dip as temperatures soar. Seven of the city's 21 beaches have raised a purple flag - which means no bathing - since the start of the month, on days when hygiene inspections revealed high levels of faecal matter. Marseille is a tourist hotspot, attracting five million visitors per year thanks to its Mediterranean coastline and sun-kissed climate. But the city, France's largest port, struggles with pollution from industry and shipping. A boy reaches up in front of a glass enclosure as a polar bear swims over at a zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. Temperatures are set to rocket across the country Protection: Animal keeper Claudia Beck puts sun cream on the skin of South American tapir 'Bambou' at the Serengeti-Park animal park in Hodenhagen near Hanover, northern Germany A horse is sprayed with water at a stud in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, on a hot and sunny Wednesday The animal was hosed down as temperatures rocketed in Frankfurt today. Health warnings have been issued across Europe amid stifling conditions A nun uses a fan to shelter from the sun as she waits for the start of Pope Francis' general audience in St. Peter's Square Commuters are picture walking across Waterloo Bridge in central London this morning as the country got off to a cloudy and humid start 'It's mostly caused by sanitation problems, but there are also increasing numbers of boats spewing out their grey and black waste before they enter the port,' said Sarah Hatimi, head of the water quality programme at Surfrider Foundation Europe environmental group. Swimming bans are nothing new in Marseille. Last year, authorities enforced 153 bans amid fears of a pollution spike after heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, experts in France warned that a so-called heat sink can drive temperatures up another 10 degrees Celcius. The phenomenon where cities - where concrete and asphalt swelters in the heat - are hotter than the surrounding countryside is actually known as an urban heat island, and while the effect exists year-round, it is most acutely felt at exactly the worst moment - a heatwave. In the countryside, vegetation uses sunlight and water from the soil for photosynthesis which in addition to converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, also releases water into the air. This helps disperse solar energy and cool the surrounding area. Meanwhile, in cities, there is not nearly as much vegetation to disperse heat. Moreover, asphalt and cement absorb solar energy during the day and release it during the night. The result is the city is hotter than the surrounding countryside, as buildings and streets act as a giant heat sink, and this is most noticeable during heatwaves. France's national meteorological service has found an average annual difference between Paris and surrounding rural areas on the order of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (4 - 5 degrees Fahrenheit). During a heatwave, the difference 'can reach close to 10 degrees Celsius', said Meteo-France. To the list of factors making cities feel like ovens, there is another one which must be added: air conditioning. 'The more you use air conditioning in buildings, the more you heat the outside air,' noted Lemonsu. The vicious circle of air conditioning is abetted by the design of major cities. A study published in a March 2018 issue of Physical Review Letters found that the more a city is designed into a square grid pattern, the more it traps heat. The orientation of buildings can also play a role - letting in more light lets in more heat. All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility