Western and southwestern Europe are in the throes of a heatwave, with many local governments advising caution and recommending children and the elderly remain indoors as much as possible. <br /><br /> On one of the busiest weekends of the year on the French roads, some holidaymakers have been subjected to long traffic jams in sweltering temperatures – at times soaring to 40 degrees Celsius.<br /><br /> Parts of Italy are forecast to reach 38, while Freiburg in Germany hit 40 degrees at 8.30am on July 4 and roads near Heidelberg have started to buckle and expand in the heat.
