Europe is in the grip of a major heat wave that has persisted since the weekend, with at least 94 million people expected on Wednesday to face temperatures above 35C. The heat dome covering western Europe has already contributed directly or indirectly to dozens of deaths, and France’s weather service, Météo-France, has compared it to the August 2003 heat wave, which lasted 16 days and caused an estimated 80,000 excess deaths across Europe, including 15,000 in France alone.
The weather system, known as an Omega block, traps hot air in place and has pushed temperatures up to 18 degrees above seasonal norms. Forecasts called for 41C in Paris, 38C in Madrid, 37C in Frankfurt, 36C in Brussels, 35C in Rome, 34C in London and Amsterdam, 32C in Zurich and Prague, and 31C in Berlin and Barcelona. The heat is forcing changes across daily life, with construction sites shifting work hours, retailers seeing heavy demand for fans and portable air conditioners, and French farm cooperatives moving harvest work to night shifts to reduce heat exposure and fire risk.
France recorded its hottest day since measurements began nearly 80 years ago, with a national average of 29.8C on Tuesday. By midday Wednesday, Bordeaux reached 36C and Nantes 38C, while 58 of France’s 96 departments were under the highest red alert and 31 more under orange. Authorities were trying to restore power to about 68,000 homes, mostly in Brittany. Since the start of the wave, at least 48 people in France have drowned while seeking relief in seas, rivers, and lakes, and two children died after being left in a hot car.
The heat has also disrupted Paris landmarks and events. The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower cut visiting hours, with the Louvre closing at 4 p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday because its older building stores heat later in the day. Schools shortened schedules, public transport was disrupted, and Paris Fashion Week adjusted show times. In Britain, the Met Office issued its rare red heat warning, the second only in history and first since July 2022, covering much of central and southern England and South Wales. It warned of 38C in southern England, rail operators limited speeds, Eurostar canceled four London-Paris trains, and officials said the impact could be severe. Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and other countries are also facing extreme temperatures, while scientists say human-caused climate change is making such events more frequent and intense.
