Belgium hit record high of 40.2 C on Wednesday

Belgian meteorologists registered a record high temperature for the country on Wednesday as western Europe sweltered under a heatwave that has disrupted transport and triggered safety warnings.

David Dehenauw, chief forecaster at the Royal Meteorological Institute, said Thursday that a high of 40.2 degrees Celsius had been recorded the day before in the eastern city of Liege - the highest ever since records began.