France's Deadly Heatwave: Records Shattered

France is experiencing its deadliest heatwave on record, with temperatures soaring above 107°F (42°C) and at least 55 deaths, including drownings and heat-related illnesses. Authorities issued red alerts for nearly half of the country's departments as the extreme conditions strained power grids and public services.

The French public health agency reported that France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week during the height of its record-smashing heat wave. The Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption in affected areas, stating that most fatalities were young people seeking relief from the heat. At least 40 drownings occurred as individuals swam in unsupervised areas to escape the extreme temperatures. Additionally, two children aged two and four died after being found unconscious in a parked car.

The Eiffel Tower and other venues set up misting stations to help cool visitors dealing with intense heat. Schools across France adjusted timetables or closed early to protect students from the dangerous conditions. Meteo-France reported that the country registered its hottest night since records began in 1947, with an average temperature of 21.6°C (70.9°F).

Power cuts affected thousands of homes in northern France due to a transformer incident exacerbated by the heat. Authorities prioritized restoring electricity to healthcare centers, critical sites, and retirement homes using generators. The extreme heat disrupted transport networks, forced schools and tourist sites to shut, and led builders to alter working hours.

According to Reuters, the heatwave has also reduced France's nuclear output by 4.1 gigawatts, or 7% of total power demand at midday. High temperatures across the country have limited access to water needed to cool reactors. The affected reactors include Saint-Alban 2 and Bugey 3 on the Rhone river in eastern France, Nogent 2 reactor on the Seine southeast of Paris, and Golfech 2 reactor on the Garonne river in southwest France.

French environmental regulations require nuclear operator EDF to reduce output when river temperatures reach a certain threshold to protect local ecosystems. The heat has boosted wholesale electricity prices due to reduced wind speeds and increased reliance on gas-fired power generation, which is usually minimal in France. Wholesale spot power prices in France and Germany reached their highest level since mid-January 2025 as electricity systems grappled with the heat.

Health authorities across Europe were on high alert as a killer heatwave progressed across the continent, prompting alcohol bans in France and cracking road surfaces open in Germany. From Britain and France to Germany, Italy, Austria, and Serbia, Europe sizzled under a record-breaking ball of heat rolling across the region. Scientists said the heatwave was the worst recorded for Europe, where the climate is changing faster than anywhere else.

Temperatures were probably past their peak in France and Britain, where records for June have been broken. But in Italy, the heat was expected to intensify into the weekend, bringing the summer’s first readings of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Across the continent, cultural landmarks have been forced to close, and farming has suffered.

Extreme heat caused the surface of the A2 motorway in eastern Germany to buckle and rupture over several lanes on Thursday evening, according to the BZ newspaper, damaging up to 30 vehicles, leaving two people with minor injuries and forcing the highway to be closed. Britain’s Met Office extended a red heat alert into Friday for a large area of southern England, the first time such warnings have been issued for three consecutive days.

A rare ‘code red’ alert for extreme heat was issued for almost the whole of the Netherlands and many schools were closed as temperatures up to 40 C were expected. In Serbia, authorities issued an amber alert, with temperatures of around 36 C expected. Officials in Belgrade warned people to drink and stay indoors during the hottest hours.

Fans flew off the shelves in Britain and Asian air conditioning manufacturers reported a European sales boom. In France, the state-owned power utility EDF pledged to spend €80 million ($90 million) on cooling systems for schools, kindergartens and day-care centres. According to the most recent data from the OECD-affiliated International Energy Agency (IEA), issued in July 2025, household ownership of air conditioning in Europe remains relatively low, at around 20%.