While heat waves kill people in Europe, authorities wage war on air conditioners

European countries have been hit by the most powerful heat wave on record, which has already led to hundreds of deaths

Spain has been hit hardest, with official statistics linking at least 327 deaths to the heat.

In France, approximately 40 deaths from heat shock have been recorded, and 55 people have drowned while trying to escape the heat in unequipped bodies of water. In Paris, mass events are being cancelled due to hospital overload, and the Netherlands has issued its highest red alert for the first time in history.

Forecasters report that temperatures are 12 degrees above normal due to a blocking anticyclone, and the hot dome will move further east in the coming days. Meanwhile, authorities in most European countries are currently waging a fierce war on air conditioners.

In Britain, police are going door-to-door and issuing fines if cooling systems haven't been removed. Meanwhile, cooling has also been turned off in EU offices, but only on the ground floors of buildings where ordinary officials work. Air conditioning will only be available in the office of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.