A relentless heatwave sweeping across Europe has turned deadly, with at least 18 people losing their lives in France as temperatures surged to unprecedented levels across the continent.
Among the victims were two young children, aged two and four, who were found unconscious inside a family car outside their home in southeastern France.
The extreme weather has also been linked to the deaths of three elderly people in the Bordeaux region over the weekend. Local official Sophie Brocas said the victims, aged between 80 and 95, suffered health complications caused by the intense heat, Reuters reported.
Less than a month after a May heatwave that set records in several European countries, the continent is facing a new bout of extreme weather, with temperatures set to rise even further in coming days, news agency AFP reported.
Record-breaking temperatures across France and Spain
Several French cities registered historic highs on Monday. Bordeaux, located in the country’s renowned wine-producing region, recorded 41.9 degrees Celsius, surpassing a previous record set in August last year. In Poitiers, temperatures climbed to 41.2 degrees Celsius, breaking a record that had stood since 1947.
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The heat extended into northern Spain, where San Sebastian — a city known for its relatively mild climate — was expected to touch 40 degrees Celsius. According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, this is more than twice the city’s historical average temperature for June 22.
An April report by the World Meteorological Organization found that Europe is warming at more than twice the global average rate.
Drowning deaths and public safety concerns
As people sought relief from the soaring temperatures, French authorities warned of growing safety risks. Thirteen people were reported drowned between Sunday and Monday.
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“Swim only in places that are supervised,” French Civil Safety service spokesperson Jerome Boulanger said.
Authorities noted that drowning deaths rose sharply during previous heatwaves, with France recording a 172% increase last year as more people entered water bodies to escape the heat.
What’s driving the heatwave?
Experts say the current weather pattern is the result of an “Omega block” — a phenomenon named after the Greek letter because of the shape it creates in the atmosphere.
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“It’s drawing warm air up from North Africa, from the Sahara, and that’s why we have this really intense heat. It’s very slow moving and it means there’s kind of no wind, no breeze for respite,” said Clair Barnes, a research associate in extreme weather and climate at Imperial College London.
Barnes added that climate change is intensifying both heatwaves and storms, leading to higher temperatures and heavier rainfall events.
Britain braces for record June temperatures
The heatwave is expected to intensify in the United Kingdom later this week. Britain’s Met Office said temperatures could exceed 39 degrees Celsius in some areas, potentially breaking the country’s June temperature record of 35.6 degrees Celsius, which was set in 1957 and matched in 1976.
Just weeks earlier, Britain had already recorded its hottest May temperature on record.
Walking through central London, resident Lewis Jennings summed up public sentiment, saying, “Thirty-six degrees is going to be disgusting.”
Paris, meanwhile, was on track to register its hottest June day, with temperatures reaching 38.4 degrees Celsius, according to preliminary data from Meteo-France.
“We are seeing temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees above normal for this time of year, and in some northern areas even more than 10 degrees above average,” said Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for Spain’s AEMET weather agency.
Italy and Belgium also feel the impact
Italy issued red heatwave alerts for 12 cities on Monday as authorities prepared for continued extreme temperatures. In Turin, utility company Iren doubled worker shifts and deployed additional generators to deal with sporadic power outages caused by strain on the electricity network.
The effects of the heat are also being felt by wildlife. In Belgium, animal rescue workers reported a surge in distressed birds, particularly swifts, swallows, sparrows and starlings nesting under rooftops.
“Temperatures on the roofs can sometimes reach 50, even 60 degrees Celsius. So they prefer to jump rather than let themselves die and literally cook in their nests,” said Romaine de Jaegere, founder of a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Temploux.
The shelter has received around 150 animals over the past three days as the heatwave continues to affect large parts of Europe.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Europe battles brutal heatwave: 18 dead in France as temperatures soar, hotter days likely ahead
