Italy places all major cities on red alert as heatwave grips Europe

Central Europe has seen record-breaking temperatures amid a sweltering heatwave, as energy and transport systems across the continent face disruption.

Temperatures have climbed to above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in several countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people.

It comes as Hungary switched off the lights at some of its most renowned buildings in a bid to save energy as a heatwave continued to grip large parts of Europe.

In Germany, climate activists demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels demonstrated outside the chancellery against the lack of government action to keep people safe from extreme heat.