Summary

TAPE: EF03/0705 IN_TIME: 22:26:09 DURATION: 2:47 SOURCES: VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS: SKY - No Access UK/CNNi/Internet DATELINE: Various, 5 Aug 2003 SHOTLIST: APTN Paris, France 1. People standing under the shower sprays on the Paris Plage (beach) 2. Top shot of the Paris Plage on the banks of the Seine 3. People sunbathing on the Paris Plage 4. Paris skyline showing pollution 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Brent Metschan, Tourist from USA "I think that it's been overwhelmingly hot the short time that we've been here and I think that part of it has been due to the pollution, the haze keeping the heat down, as well as the vast amounts of cement everywhere." SKY London, UK 6. Various of commuters on the Tube (Underground train) 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Voxpop, young man: "If I had a suit on I'd be sweltering. It is really, really hot in here." LNN London, UK 8. Various of Christmas decorations on display 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Willaysey, Director of corporate communications, Harrods: "I have to say it normally coincides with the hottest day of the year, so once again we've been proven right on that point." SKY England, UK 10. Cow being sprayed with water APTN Berlin, Germany 11. Berlin's "Reichstag's Dom" (German parliament building) and TV tower 12. Child in fountain 13. Man lying in shade 14. Man sitting in sun 15. Pan tourist boat to sand bar on the River Spree 16. People sitting at beach bar APTN Frankfurt Zoo, Germany 17. Seals swimming in pool 18. Seal lying in sun 19. Tiger walking into water APTN Moscow, Russia 20. Fountain 21. People with hands in fountain sprays 22. People washing hands and feet in fountain APTN Oostende, Belgium 23. Wide shot of beach front 24. Various of people on beach 25. People playing beach volley ball 26. Girls eating ice creams 27. Man coming out of sea 28. People on beach STORYLINE: Europe's heatwave continued on Tuesday as the continent baked in relentless summer weather which has disrupted travel, taxed air conditioners and sent temperatures and pollution levels soaring. Despite the pollution in the French capital Paris, tourists and Parisians alike made their way to traditional landmarks - including the city's main summer attraction, the Paris Plage, or beach. City authorities created the beach in late July for the second year running by dumping three tonnes of sand on the banks of the River Seine. On a scale of 10, pollution hit level eight, while temperatures reached 40 degrees centigrade (104 degrees fahrenheit). Tourists at Montmatre, one of Paris's highest points and home to the famous Sacre Coeur basilica, said they thought the pollution was holding in the heat. Normally cool Britain also sweated as temperatures rose to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in London and Manchester. As many Britons took to the beaches to make the most of the sunshine, others had to suffer the sweltering temperatures of the London underground trains. Commuters travelling on the underground in Central London had to endure temperatures as high as 34 degrees Celcius (93.2 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the British capital's most famous department store chose one of the hottest days of the year so far to open its Christmas decoration department. Just 130 days before the festive season begins, Harrods unveiled its 10-thousand square foot (930 square metre) Christmas World Department as temperatures soared above 30 degrees Celcius (86 Fahrenheit) in the British capital. Although temperatures in Britain were much lower than in continental Europe, where they exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), the government warned Britons about the health dangers, while some of the nation's cows got a good hose down. In Germany, people also continued to swelter in the heat. Tourists in the capital, Berlin, protected themselves from the torrid sun with umbrellas as they sailed in sightseeing boats on the river Spree. Animals in the Frankfurt Zoo swam and played in the pools. On Monday, Frankfurt airport reported a record night-time temperature of 23 and a half degrees Celsius (74 point three degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 22 degrees (71 point six degrees Fahrenheit) set in August 1982. In the Russian capital, Moscow, children and adults alike took to the cities fountains in a bid to stay cool. In Belgium, people flocked to the coastal resorts to make the most of the sea and sand and the slightly lower temperatures. Inland temperatures soared to 33 degrees Celsius (91 point four Fahrenheit), but in the coastal town of Oostende a light breeze cooled things down to about 25 degrees Celcius (77 Fahrenheit).