A heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern Europe and north-west Africa, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the coming days.

Temperatures are expected to surpass 40C in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey.

The Cerberus heatwave – named by the Italian Meteorological Society after the three-headed monster that features in Dante’s inferno – is expected to bring extreme conditions in the next few days.

More than 60,000 people died in Europe as a result of the heat last year. The fear is that this heatwave could cause many more deaths this summer.