Belgian Zookeepers Help Animals Beat The Heat With Frozen Treats

Pandas, polar bears and other animals at a Belgian zoo enjoyed some icy treats, as the country faced "exceptionally high" temperatures, while Brussels residents turned to atomizers, fans and ventilators.

As a heatwave that settled over southern Europe last week edged northwards, southern and Western Germany and Belgium have been bracing for potentially record-breaking temperatures.

Belgian meteorologist David Dehenauw said he did not expect temperatures to reach those of July 25, 2019, when they hit at least 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the country.

"We expect temperatures between 93.2-95 degrees in high Ardennes and up to 104 degrees in the regions near France - near the French border - and elsewhere, it will be between 98.6 and 102.2 degrees, so these are exceptionally high values, not records," Dehenauw told Reuters.

His organization, the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, issued red alerts in two parts of the country: Hainaut and Western Flanders.

Dehenauw said global warming was to blame for the heatwave that razed forests in southwestern France, Spain and Portugal.

His comment echoed findings of a study published in the journal "Environmental Research: Climate" in June that concluded it was highly probable that climate change was making heatwaves worse.

"Sometimes they say that the elderly always say that things were better in the past. But it's true," elderly resident Elfrida Massin said as she tried to make her way across Brussels' busiest shopping street, under the sun.

Temperatures in Belgium should return to below 86 degrees on Wednesday, Dehenauw said.