Continental Europe is in the grip of a deadly heatwave that has claimed hundreds of lives, including three children in France, as temperatures soared above 40C.

France and Spain were among the worst affected as the continent sweltered under a heat dome, a vast area of stagnant high pressure. In Spain, 212 people have died due to the extreme heat over the past week, according to data from the country’s mortality monitoring system, MoMo. At least 48 people have drowned in France, seeking relief from the record-breaking temperatures, including a 21-year-old French footballer with a second-division club.

In the UK meanwhile, the UK’s hottest June day on record has been broken again during this week's heatwave, with a provisional temperature of 36.4C recorded in Yeovilton, Somerset. This surpasses the high of 36.1C set on Wednesday in Gosport, Hampshire, the Met Office said.

It comes after the Met Office extended its red warning for extreme heat for Friday as the peak of a heatwave affecting most of England and Wales are set to shift eastwards.

But what is causing these records to be smashed, and this brutal weather to continue? And how long will the heat last? We explain the 'heat dome' that has descended upon Europe.

Tomorrow, voters in the Makerfield constituency head to the polls for one of the most unusual and consequential by-elections in modern history.

That is because Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is standing for Labour, and is expected to launch a direct challenge to the Prime Minister should he win.

But will he win? Makerfield by-election polls suggest a tight two-horse race between Reform UK's candidate Robert Kenyon and Labour candidate Andy Burnham.

But there is another party changing the race: Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain, and its candidate Rebecca Shepherd. If they perform well in the by-election on Thursday, it could benefit Andy Burnham more than anyone.

Here we take a look at who Restore Britain are, what they believe in, and why they are clashing with Nigel Farage and Reform UK despite coming from a similar wing of politics.

Trump, ticket prices, and thunderstorms…

The 2026 World Cup is about to kick off, but it could be a bumpy ride.

We’ve already seen one of the referees banned from entering the United States, Iran’s team being forced to move their training base to Mexico, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino telling everyone to ‘chill’.

So here are the biggest problems the tournament could face.