LONDON (REUTERS) - Drought conditions have turned some of Europe's most famous city parks into parched plains of bleached grass and dried vegetation that offer little respite from the searing temperatures.

In Paris, the bone-dry Bois de Boulogne was near deserted, and only a handful of tourists lingered around the fountains at the Champ de Mars underneath the Eiffel Tower.

London's Greenwich Park was also empty under a blistering sun and cloudless sky on Friday (Aug 12), while there were few visitors in Berlin's equally parched-looking Tiergarten.

Much of Europe is suffering a heatwave that has seen Britain declare a drought in parts of England, sparked massive wildfires and depleted water levels in rivers across the continent.

In Brussels, meanwhile, the creators of a vast flower carpet, unfurled every two years in front of city hall, are opting for more heat-resistant blooms and the use of pot plants for the first time in the art project's 50-year history.

Returning to the Belgian capital's opulent Grand Place after a Covid-imposed absence, this year's design recalls the first carpet laid out in 1971, which was inspired by Arabesque shapes.

With the installation expected to endure four days of temperatures over 30 deg C, the designers have had to swap many begonias for Belgian dahlias, which contain more water.

In the past, cut flowers have been used in the design, but this year potted plants have been added, which are expected to cope better with the heat and which the organisers say are a nod to sustainability as they can be planted in soil afterwards.

"We have to adapt," said Ms Annette Katz, managing director of the project, adding that the nature of the work is that it's meant to be ephemeral. "Everyone is getting old, so the carpet in a few days will get old!"