France issues red alert as heatwave death toll reaches 40
Météo France places 54 departments under extreme warning while the UK Met Office issues its own red alert amid a broader European heat crisis.
France has placed 54 departments under a red heatwave alert following its hottest-ever night, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in many areas. The national weather service, Météo France, stated that the extreme conditions, which persist around the clock, are expected to last until at least the end of the week. Officials warned that further record-breaking temperatures are anticipated, potentially surpassing all previous records regardless of the time of year.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed during a crisis meeting that 40 people have drowned since June 18 while seeking relief from the record heat. He noted that the victims were mainly young people, highlighting specific tragedies including the death of a 13-year-old girl in the River Seine and two young children found in a vehicle in Carpentras. The fatalities underscore the lethal risks associated with unsupervised cooling efforts in a country where widespread air-conditioning is not standard.
The extreme weather has triggered significant disruptions to public services and daily life. Schools remain closed, sporting events have been cancelled, and rail services continue to face interruptions. Météo France described the heatwave as exceptionally intense and occurring very early in the summer, though the duration remains uncertain. The agency noted that sunshine continues to dominate, maintaining oppressive and exhausting heat throughout the country.
The crisis has drawn comparisons to the August 2003 heatwave, which caused an estimated 15,000 deaths across France and led to the introduction of the current heat watch warning system. Data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. The World Health Organization’s Europe office reported that more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes over the last four years, with most deaths deemed preventable.
Concurrently, the Met Office in the UK has issued a red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday. Forecasts suggest that June’s all-time daily temperature record could be broken, with highs reaching at least 39 degrees Celsius in some areas. Conditions are expected to ease by Friday, but the shared extreme weather underscores the growing vulnerability of Western Europe to climate-driven heat stress.
