Wildfires have killed two people in Spain and two others have died in France because of a heatwave that has gripped Europe and forced the closure of a nuclear reactor at a Swiss power plant. With scorching temperatures again on Wednesday,

Sixteen departments have been placed on red alert, the highest level of warning, and 68 on orange alert as France faces the peak of a lengthy heatwave, which has already lasted 13 days.

Paris was on red alert for high temperatures on Tuesday, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe.Mediterranean countries from the Iberian peninsula through France and Italy to the Balkans and Greece have been sweltering in a heatwave for several days,