PARIS, France (AFP)—Two children were found dead in a car in France on Monday as much of Europe sweltered through record high temperatures and national authorities launched urgent measures to reduce the impact.

The youngsters, aged two and four, were found in their family car in a residential parking lot in the southern town of Carpentras, where investigators said they believed the heatwave was the most likely reason for the deaths.

The latest heatwave to hit Europe has seen outdoor events cancelled, transport disrupted, schools shut and office workers told to work from home, as the authorities issued health alerts to protect the elderly and vulnerable.