Forty individuals have tragically drowned in unsupervised swimming locations across France since 18 June, as the nation grapples with an unprecedented early summer heatwave. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed the fatalities, noting that the majority of victims were young people. The announcement came ahead of a crisis meeting chaired by Mr Lecornu to address the intense heat, which has seen parts of western France anticipate temperatures reaching up to 43C.
Météo-France, the national weather service, has placed 54 departments under a red heatwave alert, signifying an “oppressive and exhausting” heat affecting approximately half of the country. Preliminary figures indicate that France experienced its hottest overnight temperatures since records began in 1947, with the national heat index, an average of day and night-time highs across 30 weather stations, hitting a record 21.6C. The previous record of 21.4C was set on 25 July 2019. Authorities in the Greater Paris region have advised residents to work from home where possible and minimise rail travel, as the transport network struggles under the extreme heat.
The intense heatwave is not confined to France, with swathes of Europe experiencing similar conditions. In Spain, nearly all regions were under a heat alert on Tuesday, with some areas, including around Córdoba and Bilbao, facing “extraordinary danger” red alerts. The south-eastern province of Almería has seen temperatures remain above 30C overnight for three consecutive nights. Italy has declared a red heatwave alert in 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, while Germany has reported a spike in swimming accidents over the weekend, resulting in five deaths.
The UK is also bracing for record-breaking temperatures, with the Met Office issuing its second-ever red heat warning as forecasts suggest temperatures could soar to 40C. Some schools in England closed early on Tuesday in anticipation of the extreme conditions. Clair Barnes, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, attributed the sweltering temperatures to a slow-moving mass of hot air drawing warmth from North Africa and the Sahara, leading to a lack of cooling winds.
Addressing a London Climate Action Week event, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the broader implications of the heatwave, stating, “London isn’t just calling. It’s cooking.” He underscored the urgency of limiting global warming and criticised the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, which he identified as the shared origin of both the climate and energy crises. Mr Guterres urged international cooperation to mitigate the escalating temperatures and avert catastrophic environmental tipping points.