At least 18 people have died in France during an ongoing European heatwave, including two children left inside a vehicle, as temperatures in several cities reached record highs on Monday.
In Bordeaux, western France, the mercury climbed to 41.9°C, surpassing the city’s previous August record. In Poitiers, central France, temperatures reached 41.2°C, breaking a high that had stood since 1947. Thousands of French schools closed or rescheduled classes in response.
Sophie Brocas, a local government official in Bordeaux, told television reporters that three elderly residents aged between 80 and 95 had died from health complications caused by the heat. Meanwhile, Jerome Boulanger, a spokesman for France’s civil safety agency, urged the public to swim only in supervised areas after reports of 13 drownings between Sunday and Monday morning. Drowning deaths in France rose 172% during last year’s heatwaves as people sought relief from the heat.
In the United Kingdom, the Met Office said on Monday that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures above 39°C in some areas, which would break the June record of 35.6°C set in 1957 and 1976. British forecasters expect temperatures to surpass their highest June levels early next week.
In Spain, temperatures in San Sebastian were approaching 40°C, more than double the city’s typical average for this time of year, according to the Reuters climate monitor. Italy issued red-level heat warnings on Monday for 12 cities, including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome. The Red Cross in Milan advised elderly residents and patients to visit its cooling centre, which runs air conditioning powered by solar panels.
