France is bracing for another day of extreme temperatures as a severe Europe Heatwave continues to grip large parts of the continent, prompting emergency warnings, power outages and growing concerns over public safety.
More than half of France remains under red heat alerts after the country recorded its hottest June day since records began. The national average temperature reached 29.8°C on Tuesday, while temperatures climbed as high as 44.3°C in parts of the southwestern Landes region.
French weather authorities expanded red heat warnings to 58 regions on Wednesday, with an additional 31 regions under orange alerts. Forecasters warned that temperatures could reach 43°C in southwestern areas, while much of western France, including Paris and Brittany, is expected to experience temperatures between 39°C and 40°C through the weekend.
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The intense heat has already disrupted daily life across the country. Around 68,000 homes in the Brittany region lost electricity after a transformer failure, while firefighters successfully brought a major wildfire under control overnight in the Maine-et-Loire region.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou said that 40 people have drowned in heatwave-related incidents since last Thursday. Among the victims was a 13-year-old girl who drowned while swimming in the River Seine with her family.
The heatwave has also affected major tourist attractions. The Louvre Museum in Paris announced that it would close two hours earlier than usual through Saturday to protect visitors and staff from extreme temperatures inside the historic building.
Meteorologists expect some relief from Friday as temperatures gradually decline. However, the cooler conditions may trigger thunderstorms, flash floods and large hailstorms across several regions.
The Europe Heatwave is now spreading across western and central Europe. Authorities in the Netherlands have issued an orange weather alert, warning that temperatures could reach 37°C this week and rise to 39°C by Friday.
Belgium has also activated the alert phase of its national ozone and heat plan, with temperatures forecast to reach 37°C in several areas. Germany is expected to experience temperatures approaching 40°C over the weekend, while severe heat warnings remain in effect for Poland, Croatia and Hungary.
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Spain and Italy continue to face dangerous conditions. Northern Spain remains under red heat alerts with temperatures expected to climb to 42°C, while 16 Italian provincial capitals are currently under the highest heat warning level.
Climate experts warn that Europe is warming faster than any other continent, with rising temperatures contributing to more frequent heatwaves, increased wildfire risks and growing pressure on water resources. The current heatwave highlights the challenges European countries face as they adapt to increasingly extreme weather conditions.
