PARIS — Millions across Europe faced extreme heat on Tuesday, while France recorded 40 drownings in the past week as people sought relief from the scorching temperatures.
France continues to experience relentless heat, with the national weather service, Météo‑France, issuing a red alert for 54 departments—roughly half the nation—as the early‑summer heat wave grips the country.
Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom also felt the impact of the extreme heat.
Scientists link the rising frequency of extreme weather to human‑driven climate change, and UN climate projections warn that the next five years could break numerous heat records.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu noted that most of the 40 drowning victims since last Thursday were young individuals.
With air conditioning rare in many French homes, schools, transit systems and sporting events have been disrupted. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower altered its schedule, closing in the afternoon rather than its usual late‑night hours to cope with the heat.
The extreme conditions are forecast to persist through the week, with daytime temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) in numerous towns.
“We anticipate further record‑breaking temperatures, some of which could eclipse any previous high irrespective of season,” said Météo‑France.
The heat wave is unusually intense for this early point in the summer, “though its exact length remains uncertain,” the weather service noted. It has already been likened to the August 2003 event, when record‑high temperatures over the past fifty years led to an estimated 15,000 deaths, many among older residents lacking air conditioning.
Europe is warming faster than any other continent, with temperatures rising twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. In the past four years, over 200,000 Europeans have died from heat‑related causes, most of which could have been avoided, the WHO’s Europe office reported this month.
Such elevated temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heat stroke.
Across the English Channel, numerous British schools announced closures and rail services faced disruptions after the Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, warning that June’s all‑time daily temperature record might be surpassed.
Forecasts call for temperatures near 37 °C (98.6 °F) in southern England and up to 35 °C (95 °F) in southeast Wales, with the heat wave peaking on Wednesday and Thursday at around 39 °C (102.2 °F) before easing on Friday, according to the Met Office.
On Tuesday, several UK train operators announced cancellations to “ensure safe railway operation,” while National Rail advised the public to travel only if essential on Wednesday and Thursday.
Further south, Spain is experiencing a heat wave affecting multiple regions of the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain’s national weather service, Aemet, issued red alerts on Tuesday for southern Andalusia, where temperatures could reach 44 °C (111 °F), and warned that normally mild regions such as Cantabria and the Basque Country along the northern Atlantic coast might see highs of 40 °C (104 °F).
Aemet meteorologist Rubén del Campo noted that Spain’s recent trend of increasingly hot summers will continue, with climate change driving more frequent, longer heatwaves that can occur outside the usual July‑August period.
Del Campo pointed out that, of the twelve June heatwaves Aemet has logged since 1975, six have taken place since 2015.
He added that human‑driven climate change is warming not only the atmosphere over Spain but also the surrounding sea waters.
Copernicus, the EU’s monitoring agency, reported that 2024 was the hottest year on record both for Europe and worldwide, and the continent logged its second‑highest number of “heat stress” days.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of heat and dryness, particularly in southeastern Europe, heightening the region’s susceptibility to health issues and wildfires.
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The name of the body of water between France and the U.K. has been corrected to the “English Channel.”
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