In 1303 and 1304 the Rhine, Loire and Seine ran dry. The heat in several French provinces during the summer of 1705 was equal to that of a glass furnace. Meat could be cooked by merely exposing it to the sun. Not a soul dare venture out between noon and 4 p.m. In 1718 many shops had to close. The theaters never opened their doors for three months. Not a drop of water fell during six months. In 1773 the thermometer rose to 118 degrees. In 1778 the heat of Bologna was so great that a great many people were stifled. There was not sufficient air for the breath, and people had to take refuge under the ground. In July, 1793, the heat again became intolerable. Vegetables wers burned up, and fruit dried on the trees. The furniture and wood-work in dwelling-houses cracked and split up; meat, exposed, decayed in an hour.