Early heat wave kills 40 in France as Europe swelters

France’s early heat wave has already turned deadly in a way that goes beyond heatstroke: 40 people have drowned since June 18 after heading to rivers, lakes and other places to cool off. The deaths have unfolded as millions across Europe faced extreme temperatures, with France hit hardest so far and Italy, Spain and Britain also grappling with severe heat.

Météo-France put 54 departments, roughly half the country, under the highest red alert on June 23, warning that dangerous, exceptional conditions were expected around the clock. Paris reached 37.7 C on Monday, June 22, and the city’s overnight low of 24.2 C was its hottest June night on record. Nationally, France logged its hottest night since meteorological records began in 1947, a sign of how quickly the heat has built and how little relief there has been after sunset.

The danger has shown up in daily life as schools, public transportation and sporting events have been disrupted, and in some areas authorities restricted public alcohol consumption and outdoor sports. Trains, concerts and sports competitions were canceled or altered, while emergency services and military forces were placed on wildfire alert as the heat spread. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower adjusted its hours and the Louvre said it would close two hours earlier than usual from Wednesday through Saturday because the building was not sufficiently adapted to the heat and the crowding it brings.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the drowning victims were mainly young people, underscoring how heat waves can push people into reckless attempts to find relief. The pattern is especially dangerous in France, where the lack of widespread air conditioning makes prolonged high temperatures harder to manage and leaves cooling to public spaces, water, and whatever shade can be found. Forecasters warned that daytime highs above 40 C were possible in some towns, and record-breaking temperatures remained on the table.

The episode is a blunt reminder that Europe is no longer dealing with rare summer extremes. Copernicus says the continent is the world’s fastest-warming and has heated up more than twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, while the 2003 heat wave that killed an estimated 15,000 people still looms as a warning. In June, WHO/Europe urged countries to strengthen heat-health action plans, a measure that looks increasingly urgent as earlier, deadlier summers test public health systems, infrastructure and the basic idea of safety in hot weather.