By Deborah Nnamdi
A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed at least 16 lives in France and triggered emergency warnings across several countries, as forecasters warned that temperatures could reach record levels in the United Kingdom this week.
French authorities reported that 13 people drowned on Sunday and overnight into Monday while seeking relief from the intense heat, while three elderly individuals died from heat-related causes.
The deaths came as thousands of schools across France either closed or adjusted their schedules due to soaring temperatures. The country’s weather agency, Meteo France, placed 49 administrative regions under its highest red heatwave alert, with temperatures in the southwestern city of Bordeaux expected to exceed 42 degrees Celsius.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warned that the country was facing several more days of extreme heat, with no immediate indication of when temperatures would begin to decline.
Civil Safety spokesperson Jérôme Boulanger urged residents to swim only in designated safe areas following the spate of drowning incidents.
The heatwave has affected much of Europe, with meteorological experts noting that the continent is warming at more than twice the global average rate. Forecasts showed Europe experiencing temperatures significantly above historical norms, with average temperatures expected to reach around 24 degrees Celsius, more than four degrees above the long-term average.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office warned that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures beyond 39 degrees Celsius in some areas, potentially breaking the country’s June temperature record of 35.6 degrees Celsius, set in 1957 and matched in 1976.
Spain also issued red alerts in parts of the northern Basque region, where temperatures in the coastal city of San Sebastian were forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius, exceeding typical levels for the period by a wide margin. Meteorologists said several areas of the country were recording temperatures between five and 10 degrees above seasonal averages.
Italy placed 12 cities, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome, under red heatwave alerts. Authorities in Milan opened cooling centres for elderly residents and vulnerable people, while energy providers in Turin increased staffing and deployed additional generators to cope with power demand and prevent outages.
The extreme weather has also affected wildlife. Animal rescue centres in Belgium reported a sharp increase in birds and other animals suffering from the intense heat. Conservationists said temperatures on rooftops, where many birds nest, had reached between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius, forcing young birds to abandon their nests to survive.
Authorities across Europe have continued to urge residents to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun, and take precautions as the heatwave persists.
