Hot air from Africa is bringing a new heatwave to Europe, which forecasters say could break records as the continent continues to swelter.

Health warnings have been issued about Sahara Desert dust and exceptionally high temperatures that are forecast to peak at 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit) in some southern areas.

The UK Met Office said parts of the Iberian peninsula could beat the all-time continental European record of 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, with inland areas likely to be hotter than the coast.

That record was set in the Greek capital, Athens, in July 1977. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the record for Spain is currently 47.3 Celsius, while for Portugal it's 47.4 Celsius.

Locals and tourists refresh themselves in a fountain in downtown Lisbon, Portugal. (AP)

Two girls play with a sprinkler as a field is being sprayed with water in the area around Amerongen, The Netherlands. (AP)

The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, could see a high of 41 Celsius on Saturday, according to CNN forecasters. Its average temperature is 28 Celsius for this time of year.

German brewers are struggling with demand as record beer sales have led to a bottle shortage, according to the BBC .

In Sweden, the country's official tallest point is set to change amid record temperatures.

Scientists said a glacier on Mount Kebne, the Scandinavian country's highest peak at 2,111 metres (6,925 feet, 10 inches), is melting and is no longer Sweden's tallest point.

Gunhild Rosqvist, a Stockholm University professor in geography, said the glacier lost four metres (13 feet, 2 ½ inches) of snow in July alone as Sweden endured record temperatures that triggered dozens of wildfires, even in the Arctic Circle.

Wildfires have also raged in Sweden and neighbouring Scandinavian nations in recent weeks amid unusually hot, dry conditions. Some places in Sweden have had their driest May-to-July period on record, according to its meteorological agency, and a number of weather stations have recorded only 10% to 15% of their normal rainfall.

In neighbouring Finland, a supermarket came up with a novel way of escaping the heat. The K-Supermarket said on its Facebook page that patrons hoping to cool down could sleep overnight in its air-conditioned store in Helsinki.

Temperatures could break European records in the coming week. (Ventusky)

Spain and Portugal are experiencing weather more than 10C above the average for this time of year. (Ventusky)

Homes in Finland are designed to handle the extreme cold and damp typical of the Nordic region, not the recent high temperatures.

In eastern Europe, Poland endured unusually high temperatures up to 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 Fahrenheit), forcing its power plants to go into emergency mode to increase output due to the wide use of air conditioning and electric fans.

In the streets of Warsaw, the Polish capital, authorities placed cooling water installations around and advised people to stay indoors. Dozens of the country's Baltic Sea beaches have "no swimming" warnings due to health risks from algae blooms.

A heat wave warning was in place across much of southern and eastern France on Thursday. The national meteorological agency, Méteo France, said Wednesday that temperatures in the south of the country would come close to record highs in the coming days.

Vacationers have been warned to take precautions against extreme temperatures, as the heat wave coincides with the peak holiday season in Europe.

Vulnerable people such as children and the elderly could be at risk of heat stroke, which occurs when a person's core body temperature rises above 40 Celsius and can lead to permanent brain, heart and kidney damage and, in more severe instances, death.

Visitors of a public pool are photographed from a small plane in Kleinmachnow, eastern Germany. (AP)

Hay bales are collected on a wagon in a field in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany. (AP)

Spain's meteorological office, Aemet, warned of high temperatures lasting from Wednesday into early next week.

The hot spell will be particularly intense and long-lasting in Spain's southwest, the central zone and the Ebro Valley, with temperatures above 40 Celsius, it said. In inland areas of the northwestern region of Galicia, normally known for its mild, rainy weather, the mercury could hit 41 Celsius on Thursday, it said.

The United Kingdom is also experiencing a prolonged spell of hot, dry weather. The Met Office said last week that some parts of east and southeast England had had virtually no rain for more than 50 days. Thunderstorms over the weekend brought with them rain and cooler weather, but temperatures are again on the rise.

The National Farmers' Union hosted an emergency summit Wednesday with representatives of the UK government, at which it called for its members to be given help to cope with the conditions. Farmers are struggling with irrigation, heat stress on livestock, the loss of crops and a shortage of forage for animals, the union said.

A horse rolls on a dry meadow after a long heat wave in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany. (AP)

A man wearing a Mario Bros costume takes a break from work posing for tourist photos in the shade at Sol square in Madrid, Spain. (AP)

"The impacts of the dry and hot weather have been hugely challenging for many farms across the country, with many not seeing such weather in their lifetimes," said NFU President Minette Batters.

The UK Environment Agency said it would allow greater flexibility in the rules on water extraction to help farmers manage the situation.

Meanwhile, German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner wrote to the European Commission on Wednesday urging it to take steps to help farmers affected by drought. Food for livestock could become scarce in the coming weeks, she warned.

The past four months in Germany have been very hot and dry, particularly in the north and east of the country.

The European Commission announced measures Thursday to help farmers cope, including giving them higher advance payments from EU funds and granting more flexibility to use land that would normally be left fallow to grow animal fodder.