A curious, maybe portentous, image emerged from last week's racing at the Tour de Suisse. As the race passes through a postcard-beautiful riverside town, the spectators are nowhere to be seen – until you look carefully. Then they appear, sheltering in small groups in dark spots beneath trees and among bushes – not from the rain, but from the blazing sun.
It may not have escaped your notice that a blanket of scorching heat is currently being wafted across Europe. Unusually high temperatures approaching 40degC (100.4deg F) have been forecast for the UK and for Spain, while France, on the eve of the world's biggest bike race, has already suffered temperatures above 43C (109.4F). Scorching, oven-ready readings that add up to 50% to the seasonal average.
