France reports 40 drownings as heatwave scorches Europe

PARIS: France has recorded 40 drownings in recent days as people sought relief from extreme heat, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday, while a wider heatwave continued to grip large parts of Europe.

Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Spain were also facing intense temperatures, with some areas registering record highs. The heat disrupted schools and transport services and forced the closure of tourist sites, including the Eiffel Tower.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, increasing the likelihood of prolonged episodes of extreme heat.

France records hottest day

Meteo France said the country experienced its hottest day on record on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 44.3 degrees Celsius, or 111.74 degrees Fahrenheit, in a town in the southwest.

The forecaster said 54 departments were under red alert in what it described as an unprecedented situation, with that number set to rise to 58 on Wednesday.

Across France, people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool down. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the desire to escape the heat, but cautioned against swimming in unauthorised or dangerous areas.

Deaths linked to heat conditions

Speaking before an emergency meeting on the heatwave, Lecornu described the drownings as a sad scourge and said 40 people had died since June 18, most of them young people.

In southeastern France, a prosecutor in Carpentras said first responders on Monday were unable to revive two children, aged two and four, after their mother found them unconscious in the family car outside their home.

The heatwave has added to mounting disruption across Europe, where authorities in several countries are confronting the effects of unusually high temperatures on daily life, public safety and infrastructure.