A man passes a fountain on an extreme hot summer day, with highs of 40 degrees Celsius, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in the center of Gelsenkirchen, Germany (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

A man cools off in front of a fountain during a heatwave in Lyon, central France, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

The sun rises near power lines in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. A heatwave struck large parts of Europe. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Parts of Europe are bracing for record temperatures as the second heatwave of the summer bakes the continent.

The Paris area could be as hot as 42C (108F) as a result of hot, dry air coming from northern Africa.

Swathes of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland could also face temperatures exceeding 40C (104F).

Climate scientists have warned this could become the new normal.

Expand Close A man cools off in front of a fountain during a heatwave in Lyon, central France, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man cools off in front of a fountain during a heatwave in Lyon, central France, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

But temperate Europe - where air conditioning is rare - is not equipped for the kind of temperatures in the region this week.

Tourists have been jumping in fountains in a bid to cool down, while authorities are looking to help those such as the elderly, who are often hit hardest by the heat.

Expand Close A man passes a fountain on an extreme hot summer day, with highs of 40 degrees Celsius, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in the center of Gelsenkirchen, Germany (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man passes a fountain on an extreme hot summer day, with highs of 40 degrees Celsius, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in the center of Gelsenkirchen, Germany (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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