France Issues Red Alert as Heatwave Breaks Records and Claims Lives
France has placed 54 departments on red alert as a record-breaking heatwave causes dozens of drownings and threatens public health.
France's national weather service, Météo France, has issued a red heatwave alert for 54 departments, covering about half of the country. Temperatures are soaring above 40°C (104°F) in many towns, and the extreme conditions are expected to persist at least until the end of the week. The red alert is the highest level, urging citizens to take extreme caution.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced after an emergency meeting that 40 people have drowned since June 18, most of them young. Météo France described the heatwave as exceptionally intense and early in the summer, with an uncertain duration. Daytime highs are expected to surpass all previous records, regardless of the season.
The current heatwave is reminiscent of August 2003, when temperatures not seen in over half a century caused an estimated 15,000 deaths, mostly among the elderly in homes without air conditioning. France subsequently introduced a heat warning system. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, and 2024 was the hottest year on record.
Across the English Channel, the UK Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with forecasts of up to 39°C (102°F). Conditions are expected to ease by Friday. The World Health Organization notes that over the past four years, more than 200,000 people have died from heat-related causes in Europe, most of which were preventable.
