France records hottest day since 1947 amid widespread power outages
France logged its highest temperature since records began, triggering red heat alerts and power cuts across the western part of the country.
France's national weather service reported that the average temperature across the country reached 30 °C on Thursday, surpassing the previous day's record and marking the hottest day since measurements started in 1947. The heatwave, which has spread across western Europe, left more than half of France under a red heat alert and caused tens of thousands of households in the west to lose electricity.
Maximum temperatures recorded by Météo-France ranged from 39 °C to 43 °C in western regions, with the Poitou-Charentes-Val de Loire area reaching 43 °C, slightly below the 44.3 °C observed in Pissos the day before. Forecasts expect the heat to peak later in the week in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, while eastern European nations such as Poland, Croatia and Hungary are slated to receive severe heat warnings.
Labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou warned that France is confronting a new climate reality and may need to adapt its society to higher temperatures. Authorities highlighted an increased risk of forest fires; more than 150 firefighters were deployed to contain a blaze in the Breignon forest of Maine-et-Loire, which was brought under control overnight.
In Paris, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower closed earlier than usual due to the heat. A Louvre spokesperson said the museum is "not sufficiently adapted to climate change." At least 40 heat-related drownings have been reported in France since last Thursday, including a child at a beach in Gironde. Similar incidents have occurred in Germany.
Water-conservation measures and temporary barbecue bans have been introduced in parts of Germany, and red heat alerts remain in place for northern Spain, where temperatures could reach 42 °C. Spain and Italy also continue to experience red alerts in several regions.