France has recorded its hottest day since records began in 1947, as a severe heatwave grips the country. The national weather service, Météo-France, reported that temperatures reached 44.3C in Pissos, Landes, and 42.1C in Bordeaux. Fifty-four departments are under a red heatwave alert, with overnight temperatures also breaking records.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed that 40 people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas since 18 June, calling it a “tragic scourge”. Most victims are young people. Lecornu chaired a crisis meeting to address the heatwave, which has seen temperatures above 40C in western France.
Tourist attractions have been affected: the Eiffel Tower closed early on Tuesday and is likely to do so again on Wednesday, while the Louvre will close two hours earlier from Wednesday to Saturday due to heat buildup. Officials in the Paris region advised working from home and avoiding rail journeys, as railways cannot withstand temperatures above 50C.
In southwestern France, the Golfech nuclear plant shut down a reactor after cooling water from a nearby river exceeded the safe limit of 28C. The heatwave, which forced the closure of around 1,350 schools on Monday, is linked to the deaths of two young children in a family car. Météo-France expects further record-breaking temperatures until the end of the week.
The heat is caused by a mass of hot air from the Sahara, according to climate scientist Clair Barnes. In the UK, schools closed early as temperatures are expected to reach 40C, prompting a red heat warning. UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the climate crisis is pushing the world towards catastrophic tipping points, urging action on fossil fuels.
