France: 68,000 homes without power in west due to heatwave

A significant power outage has left around 68,000 homes in the Finistère department of western France without electricity. The disruption, which occurred Tuesday evening, has been attributed to a major incident at an electrical transformer, exacerbated by the current high temperatures. The prefecture of the region confirmed the details.

No injuries were reported following the incident at the transformer, operated by Réseau de transport d’électricité (RTE), in Ergue-Gaberic. Officials stated the cause was accidental and directly linked to the prevailing heat. Technical issues mean affected households will not be reconnected on Wednesday, with power restoration anticipated at the earliest by the end of the day.

RTE and Enedis teams are fully mobilized to gradually restore power as quickly as possible. France is currently enduring a period of intense heat, with exceptionally high temperatures forecast to persist until at least Thursday, according to Meteo-France. The heatwave has already prompted early closures of the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower.

June 23 marked the hottest day ever recorded in France, with an average temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 29.4 degrees Celsius set in July 2019 and August 2003. The extreme weather underscores the vulnerability of infrastructure to climate change impacts.