France endured its hottest day since records began, as a prolonged and severe heatwave swept across Europe. Meteo-France said the national thermal index reached 29.97 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous national record set just one day earlier. The average maximum temperature climbed to 38.2 degrees Celsius, surpassing the historic benchmark from the 2003 heatwave, while more than 50 departments topped 40 degrees and Paris hit 40.7 degrees for the first time this year.
Authorities widened the red alert to 72 departments after 42 degrees were recorded in Deux-Sevres before noon. Meteo-France described the event as “exceptionally severe” and unprecedented for this time of year. The extreme heat also proved deadly: at least 48 people drowned in six days, many after trying to cool off in unauthorized swimming spots. Julien Marion, head of civil defense and crisis management, said the toll was higher than in previous years and mostly affected young people, warning, “When you are young, you tend to think you are invincible, but you are not.” Among the victims were a 6-year-old boy in Gironde and a teenager in Seine-et-Marne.
The heat strained power and transport networks. Tens of thousands of homes lost electricity, including about 15,000 residents in Finistere after a local transformer exploded, while other outages in Bouches-du-Rhone and Vaucluse were linked to underground cables heating to 80 degrees. In La Defense near Paris, a major cooling plant could not produce enough ice, prompting companies to send employees home to avoid air-conditioning failures in office towers. France’s state rail operator nearly halted TER services in Nouvelle-Aquitaine during the day, and Paris Montparnasse station suffered major delays and crowding.
Fire danger covered about half the country, with 46 departments under high alert and two under very high alert. Around 100 firefighters fought a forest blaze in Lot-et-Garonne that burned 88 hectares, and open flames were banned in 42 municipalities in Finistere. President Emmanuel Macron told ministers to remain fully mobilized in the coming weeks to address health, drought and fire impacts. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon rejected calls for a special climate leave, calling it “a heresy,” while saying work conditions must adapt and supporting the use of national green fund money for local air conditioning. Paris opened emergency cooled spaces, extended pool hours and contacted elderly and disabled residents, while Toulon urged parents to keep children home and the education ministry eased rules for high school exam candidates. Cultural and tourism sites also suffered, with the Garorock festival canceling its first day and Mont Saint-Michel closing its abbey during the hottest hours. Beyond France, at least 94 million Europeans were exposed to temperatures above 35 degrees, Britain set a new June heat record at 35.8 degrees in Wiggonholt, and climate scientist Jim Skea warned Europe will inevitably face even more severe events.
