Austria hits record temperature

The temperature in Austria climbed to a record high on Wednesday, while Hungarians curbed power use as the latest heatwave and drought took their toll on central and southern Europe.

Europe, the world's fastest warming continent, has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain particularly hard hit in recent weeks.

The focus of the heatwave has shifted further east, with Italy placing its major cities under a red heat alert as temperatures climbed to around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas. In Albania, emergency services battled a wildfire in the southern region of Mallakaster.

The heat prompted the Vatican to move Pope Leo's first weekly general audience after the July break indoors rather than hold it in St. Peter's Square. Visitors to Rome welcomed the decision as they sought relief from the sweltering conditions.

"I suppose it's better to hold it indoors because of the heat," a tourist from Mexico, Diego Amaya, said.

Austria has record

high again

The temperature hit a record 41.2 C (106.2 Fahrenheit) in the Austrian town of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the border with Slovakia, national weather service GeoSphere Austria said. The previous record of 41.0 C was set on Tuesday in nearby Vienna.

Across the border in Hungary, companies and households cut power consumption this week after a government appeal to ease pressure on the grid amid the severe drought. The capital Budapest is facing the peak of the heatwave over the next two days, with temperatures rising close to 40 C on Wednesday afternoon.