A deadly heatwave across Europe has claimed dozens of lives, triggered record temperatures, increased drowning incidents and renewed warnings about the escalating impacts of climate change.
A severe heatwave gripping Europe has left at least 18 people dead in France while another 40 drowned after entering rivers and other bodies of water in attempts to escape the scorching temperatures, authorities said.
France’s national weather service has placed 54 administrative areas under its highest alert level as extreme heat continues to affect much of the country. The heatwave has also pushed nighttime temperatures to unprecedented levels, with meteorologists reporting the warmest night on record since national monitoring began.
According to the French weather agency, which has tracked temperatures since 1947, the average overnight temperature recorded across 30 weather stations on Monday reached 21.6 degrees Celsius. The previous nighttime record of 21.4 degrees Celsius was set on July 25, 2019.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that temperatures in most parts of France were forecast to approach 40 degrees Celsius during the day.
Referring to the growing number of drowning incidents, Sports Minister Marina Ferrari warned that swimming in unauthorized locations during periods of extreme heat should not be taken lightly.
Among the victims was a 13-year-old girl who drowned in the Seine River. In the southern city of Carpentras, the bodies of two children aged two and four were found inside a parked vehicle exposed to the intense heat. Near the city of Lyon, a young footballer remains hospitalized after being rescued in critical condition from the Rhône River.
The heatwave has also intensified concerns across southern Europe.
In Italy, authorities issued red alerts for 15 cities including Rome and Milan. The government has reactivated emergency labor protection measures aimed at safeguarding agricultural and construction workers, preventing them from working during the hottest hours of the day.
Germany has also reported several drowning deaths. The bodies of three people were recovered from the Rhine River.
Spain is facing similarly harsh conditions, with temperatures in the normally cooler northern city of San Sebastián forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius. Spain’s meteorological agency said heatwaves are occurring far more frequently than in previous decades. Since 2000, the country has experienced 10 severe heatwaves compared with only two during the previous 25-year period.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office said on Monday that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures above 39 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.
Climate scientist Claire Barnes of Imperial College London said a weather pattern known as an “Omega Block” is drawing hot air from North Africa, particularly the Sahara Desert, toward Europe.
She warned that climate change is making both heatwaves and storms increasingly intense, contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events across the continent.
