The European heatwave has claimed its most tragic toll yet with at least four toddlers dead and over 55 people drowned as temperatures soar above 35C, potentially affecting 150 million people. Scientists have labelled it the continent's most severe and widespread heatwave on record.
French authorities confirmed that a father may have inadvertently left an 18-month-old child in a car for hours in Marseille, where temperatures reached a sizzling 42.6C. The incident follows three other tragedies: a three-year-old boy trapped in his family's car after the child lock engaged in a Paris suburb, and two toddlers, aged two and four, found in their parents' car in a residential area.
France's sports minister, Marina Ferrari, expressed concern over the rising number of drownings, now at 55. The UK has also been sweltering under the extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching 37.3C in Suffolk on Friday – breaking the third consecutive June record.
The Met Office issued a red alert for London and south-east England, while an amber alert covered central and eastern parts of the country. The UK Health Security Agency extended its own red heat-health warning across southern and central England, flagging a significant risk to life for even healthy individuals.
Health services are under immense strain in both countries, with several hospitals declaring critical incidents. In the UK, over 1,000 schools have shut or partially closed due to overheating buildings, while train operators urged passengers to avoid non-essential travel on Friday. Firefighters battled a significant wildfire in Derbyshire and South East Water implemented a hosepipe ban in Kent.
In Paris, officials banned takeaway alcohol in the street as temperatures hit 40.9C on Wednesday – the city's highest ever recorded temperature. The head of the Association of French Emergency Doctors reported a shocking 55 deaths in emergency services within 24 hours, a stark contrast to the usual three or four.