Europe is experiencing its second heat wave of the summer, with temperatures soaring across the continent. 

Belgium and Germany registered their highest-ever temperatures, while the Netherlands saw its hottest day in 75 years, with the heat expected to rise even further.

There are upside to all this sunshine of course. It's the perfect excuse for Berliners to hit the banks of the river Spree for a drink and even TV reporters can just about get away with wearing shorts to work.

But here's the more serious side of Europe's second heatwave this summer. The World Meteorological Organisation say the heat waves begin to happen earlier in the summer and occur more frequently, and all this bears what they call "the hallmarks of climate change."

So if this is to become a new norm, there's then the question of whether Europe is prepared for that.

Here's just one small example. German labor law stipulates a maximum temperature in a work place before employers are obliged to send their employees home. That means businesses here are having to start thinking about something they've not really had to before: how are they going to keep their offices cool enough to be able to keep their operations going during periods of higher temperatures. 

Over the border in France, energy company EDF has had to shut down two nuclear reactors over concerns about the supply of cool water to keep its reactors cool.

France has been experiencing a severe drought since last month when it recorded its highest ever temperature of 45.9 degrees Celsius. 

The high temperature also contributes to unusually intense forest fires in places like Spain and Portugal. 

Forest fires themselves can release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and thus contribute to global warming.