Spaniards sizzle through first heatwave of the summer as temperatures reach 44 C

Temperatures rose to 44 degrees Celsius in Murcia, in southeastern Spain, according to the Spanish meteorological office.

Men cooled off at Conde del Guadalhorce reservoir, in El Chorro, near Ardales, southern Spain, where the temperature reached 40C.

"Here in the coolness of the fountain, it brings us humid air so we are cooler," said Cristina Reina, 47, from Madrid, as she sought a respite from the heat near a fountain in the Spanish capital.