Europe braces for intensifying heatwave; France records deaths

Much of Europe is preparing for an already severe heatwave to intensify further in the coming days, prompting special measures in several countries. France recorded heat-related deaths over the weekend, and a leading researcher emphasized the role of human-driven climate change in the recent record-breaking temperatures.

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Human-driven climate change has provided the springboard for this event, loading the atmosphere with extra heat and making extreme temperatures far more intense than they would have been in the past.

In France, 49 of the country's 96 mainland departments are under a red alert for extreme heat. This has led to the closure of 845 schools on Monday, with an additional 1,800 schools letting students leave early. Over the weekend, several towns canceled annual music festivals, and authorities banned public alcohol consumption in departments on red alert to protect public health and order. Temperatures in some parts of France have already surpassed 40 degrees Celsius, a rare occurrence for June. In the Gironde region, officials linked the deaths of three elderly individuals to the intense heat.

Forecasters predict the current heatwave could rival the severity of the August 2003 event, which caused nearly 15,000 deaths in France. Both France and Belgium have announced reductions in rail services to mitigate the risk of track breakdowns. Belgium's meteorological institute warned that temperatures could be the "hottest ever recorded" there in the coming week. French officials described the heatwave as "particularly intense and particularly early," noting that several European countries already reported record temperatures for May.

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Temperatures will drop Thursday, but the heat will remain intense.

Akshay Deoras, a senior researcher at the University of Reading's National Centre for Atmospheric Science, stated that human-driven climate change has "provided the springboard" for these extreme events by increasing atmospheric heat. Spain's weather service also warned of "extremely high" temperatures persisting through Wednesday, with forecasts reaching 44C in some areas. Madrid officials canceled a public screening of a World Cup match due to the extreme heat. In Britain, predictions suggest existing heat records are likely to be "annihilated."

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This heatwave was particularly intense and particularly early.