Madrid locals and tourists swelter in heat wave

Locals and tourists out and about in Madrid on Friday struggled to cope in the heat as thermometers hit a sweltering 38 degrees Celcius.

Spain's weather agency said the heat wave was expected to last at least until the end of the week, when temperatures will drop a bit, providing a bit of a respite.

The heat wave started almost a week ago, with temperatures at times reaching as high as 43 Celsius.

The blanket of hot air now stretches all the way from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, bringing much of Western Europe its first heat wave of the summer.

Experts say the unusual European heat wave is a sign of what's to come as global warming continues.