Europe heat wave: France records hottest-ever day as temperatures soar

France registered its hottest day since weather records began in 1947 as a severe heat wave continues to scorch large parts of Europe. The extreme temperatures have forced tourist attractions to reduce operating hours and prompted authorities to issue urgent health warnings.

Meteo-France, the national weather agency, reported that the average of daytime and nighttime temperatures across 30 monitoring stations hit 29.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. This surpasses the previous record of 29.4 degrees Celsius, set during heat waves in August 2003 and July 2019. Several locations experienced temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, with preliminary readings in the Atlantic coastal town of Pissos reaching 44.3 degrees Celsius.

The record-breaking daytime heat followed what Meteo-France described as the hottest night ever recorded in France. The average overnight temperature from Monday to Tuesday reached 21.6 degrees Celsius nationwide. In response, French authorities placed 54 administrative departments under the highest-level red heatwave alert, an unprecedented number since the warning system's introduction.

The soaring temperatures have already claimed lives, with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stating that 40 people had drowned since the heat wave began on Thursday, many of them minors. The extreme weather has also disrupted operations at popular tourist sites. The Louvre Museum in Paris announced it would close two hours early through Saturday, and some galleries might temporarily shut to protect artworks. The Eiffel Tower also reduced its hours, closing at 4 p.m. instead of midnight, while Paris temperatures hovered around 36 degrees Celsius.

The heat wave has spread across Europe, prompting red alerts and health advisories in Britain, France, Italy, and Spain. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that the ongoing heat wave poses a serious threat to vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, and the homeless. "The coming days pose serious health risks," said Mary Friel, the IFRC's senior climate policy officer, emphasizing that extreme temperatures could quickly become a matter of life and death without preventive measures.