Heatwave

The temperature in the capital Baghdad reportedly approached 52C on Tuesday, one of the highest the city has ever seen.

The heat is said to have remained above 51C on Wednesday.

Many people stayed indoors, with some in central Baghdad seeking respite under an improvised shower.

But the extreme heat has put even greater pressure on the country's already strained public resources.

Electricity cuts have left many people in Baghdad reliant on generators to keep fans and air conditioners running.

Mrs Merkel, 64, was visibly struggling as she stood next to Volodymyr Zelensky while a military band played the two countries' anthems in the midday sun.

The temperatures in the German capital were approaching 30C (86F) at the time.

Mrs Merkel said she was dehydrated. "I've drunk at least three glasses of water and so I'm doing very well now."

The chancellor was answering a question about her wellbeing at a joint news conference with President Zelensky.

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky, a comedian-turned-president, said that he would have come to the rescue if needed.

The animals, also known as spectacled fruit bats, were unable to survive in temperatures which exceeded 42C.

In the city of Cairns, locals saw bats toppling from trees into backyards, swimming pools and other locations.

Wildlife rescuers found surviving animals clumped together, usually on branches closer to the ground.

"It was totally depressing," one rescuer, David White, told the BBC.

Last week, researchers from Western Sydney University finalised their conclusion that about 23,000 spectacled flying foxes died in the event on 26 and 27 November.

It is forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius in Sydney city, and 40C in western suburbs.

On Sunday, a reading of 47.3C was recorded in Penrith by the late afternoon, making it the hottest temperature recorded in Sydney since 1939. It was also the hottest city on Earth.

The Australian and England cricket teams suffered temperatures in the 50s out on the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

England captain Joe Root was taken to hospital to be treated for severe dehydration.