La Canicule (the Heatwave)

France : Water-rationing is in place across more than half of France, with the west particularly affected by drought. Measures range from bans on washing cars to limits on farmers watering crops. Cereal production may be badly hit. (...)

Spain: Spain is suffering its worst drought since records began in 1947, with the east particularly badly hit. Temperatures have risen to 40C (104F) in parts of Andalucia, in the south. A wave of forest fires has destroyed hectares of tinderbox woodland. (...)

Portugal: Portugal faces its worst dry spell since the 1940s. Some 97% of the country is suffering a severe or extreme drought, ministers say. (...)

Algeria: A heatwave which has seen temperatures climb to 50C has claimed more than a dozen lives in Algeria. Forest fires have broken out across swathes of the country. (...)

Italy: the temperature has topped 35C (95F) in cities including Milan, Florence and Turin. Several people have died in northern Italy as a result of the intense heat. (...)

Greece : Hundreds of firefighters have been struggling to contain a forest fire near the coastal resort of Rafina, near Athens - where Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis has his home.(...)

... And Luxembourg?
Well, the normal routine here is that we wake up to a sunnyish day and spend most of the day with clouds waltzing mischievously around the sky while setting their target. At around five -thirty of the pee emm the heavens decide to make a reenactment of the opening storms in War of the Worlds. Persons living close to a park (like myself) witness wonderful snakes of lightning crossing the sky as the rain falls down in torrential quantities. The bucketfuls of rain normally start falling in huge wallops (you cannot call them drops) on unsuspecting tourists who are normally drenched within the first five minutes (serves them right for coming to Luxembourg).

So guys, sorry about the draught and all that... but for once it is cool (and wet) to live in Luxembourg.

Have a good Sunday.

* Guide to Mediterranean Heatwave taken from BBC News. Additional info on Lux taken from first-hand experience.