In the Netherlands, one municipality is spraying salted water on its roads to stop them from melting or cracking in the extreme heat. The salt extracts moisture from the air, which in turn cools the asphalt. Much of Germany's autobahn network has asphalt coated with a special substance that absorbs moisture more quickly, according to local authorities.

Austria's railway network has deployed an army of workers to paint a 5-kilometer stretch of rail track white. It wants to test whether the paint will help the steel tracks, which can expand and buckle during a heatwave, to stay cooler. The metal can rise to 70 degrees Celcius. Rail travelers near Blundenz, about 60 kilometers south of Lindau on Lake Constance shouldn't notice any difference.

Businesses face potential revenue losses if consumers sit out the sticky weather at home. Germany's Bayreuth Festival saw a wave of returned tickets for performances of composer Richard Wagner's operas due to a lack of air conditioning in the theater. The Berlin Dungeon, on the other hand, helped tourists to stay cool by filling coffins with icy water and inviting visitors to dunk their heads.

Europe's nuclear power stations rely on water from nearby rivers or seas to cool reactors used for electricity generation. A power plant at Grohnde, in central Germany, was due to be shut down on Friday afternoon because the water in the nearby Weser river was thought to be too hot. Lower Saxony's environment ministry said the plant would remain closed until the river temperature has fallen.

In the German city of Wuppertal, a water cannon truck has been put to what environmental activists would say is a much better use. Some 40,000 liters of water was sprayed on the side of roads to keep the much-loved trees alive, which city officials said also aids road safety. After all, falling dead trees are a danger to traffic. City workers have also distributed 400 water sacks to younger trees.

The heatwave has prompted a continent not known for air conditioning to consider, in unison, installing the temperature cooling devices. According to Google Trends, searches for air conditioning (Klimagerät in German, or climatisation in French) and similar terms have skyrocketed over the past week, along with "pubs with air conditioning near me" in Britain, which spiked 2,100%.

During exceedingly hot temperatures, European zoos have begun freezing their animals' food to help them stay cool. Fruit, vegetables and even fish have been turned into popsicles on which the animals can feast. In the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, the public has been asked to watch out for grazing horses, cattle and sheep left without sufficient water and shade.

This week, Germany and western Europe are bracing for another record-breaking week of heat. A high-pressure "heat dome" could send temperatures towards 40 degrees Celsius (104.5 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, probably peaking on Thursday. The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a heat warning for the entire country for Wednesday and Thursday. The heat is expected to last until the weekend.

A dried-out park in Cologne. DWD meteorologists said that temperatures on Thursday in the heavily populated areas around Cologne and the Ruhr region in western Germany could break the country's all-time heat record of 40.3 C (104 F) — set in the Bavarian village of Kitzingen in 2015. This heat wave could be "one for the history books" said a DWD spokesperson on Monday.

The French weather service said temperatures in Paris on Thursday are forecast to reach a stifling 42 C (107 F), which would break the city's all-time heat record of 40.4 C (104.7 F) that has stood for over 70 years. The UK could also break its heat record of 38.5 C (101 F) on Thursday.

Air conditioners are uncommon in Germany. Those in the north can cool off by the sea, but people living in the rest of the country will pack into public pools or wade into rivers and lakes. Residents of Munich often cool off in the Isar River, which cuts through the city. June 2019 was the hottest June ever recorded in Germany.

Highways can buckle under extreme heat, as on this autobahn highway in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. These so-called "blow ups" happen suddenly and are very dangerous for drivers. Authorities in Germany often issue temporary speed limits on highways during heat waves in a bid to limit the risks.

Cyclists are slogging through 40 C (104 F) heat during the decisive week of a thrilling Tour de France, as the race route crosses through the country's scorched southeast. Organizers set up ice foot baths and extra water stations. The pros often have no choice, but health authorities advise against outdoor exercise in extreme temperatures.

Washington, New York and Boston on the the US east coast experienced record heat over the weekend. A cold front broke the heat wave on Tuesday, bringing severe thunderstorms that caused flooding and power outages in New York and New Jersey. On Cape Cod, a popular vacation destination in Massachusetts, a rare tornado ripped the roof off a hotel.

Workers manufacture ice blocks at a factory in China's eastern Anhui province. A heat wave is currently gripping parts of eastern China, including Beijing, with temperatures this week ranging from 33 to 37 C (91-98 F). The heat has created a spike in demand for ice.

According to the North American Atmospheric Association (NOAA), this past June was the hottest ever recorded worldwide — and NOAA predicts that July 2019 is on track to be the hottest month since records began 140 years ago. Climate scientists warn that the unprecedented heat waves seen in 2019 will be normal weather events in the future.