The hottest weather in recorded history takes a toll on residents and tourists as they flock to the shade in Greece.

New national heat records were set in France, Belgium and the Netherlands as temperatures soared to a sweltering 42 degrees in Paris on the day the video was taken on July 26.

The heatwave has been caused by a massive area of high pressure extending into the upper atmosphere that is set to move on to Scandinavia before making a run at the Arctic.

Europe heat: Temperature records are shattered in Europe, sending people en masse in search of shade and water. Europe is burning. A heat wave is taking over the continent, and it’s already breaking records. And these are some of the world’s oldest temperature records.

On Wednesday and Thursday, new national heat records were set in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and temperatures rose to record highs in major cities such as Paris, which soared to 42 degrees. This is the hottest Paris has been in recorded history.

The heat wave, caused by a massive area of high pressure extending into the upper atmosphere, also known as a heat dome, is set to envelop Scandinavia in the next two days, before making a run at the Arctic. This could dramatically speed up the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and enhance the loss of already record-low sea ice.