At least 40 people have drowned in France over the past five days as a punishing heatwave grips much of Europe, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday, with most victims young people swimming in unsupervised areas.Lecornu called the drownings a “tragic scourge” as he convened an emergency cabinet meeting. Marina Ferrari, a minister whose responsibilities include young people, said the drownings were mostly in lakes and canals . “During heat waves like this, it’s no small matter to go swimming in areas that aren’t supervised,” she told French radio.Among the fatalities was a 13-year-old girl who went for a dip with her family in the River Seine without knowing how to swim. A young professional footballer remained in critical condition after being pulled out of the River Rhône near Lyon . In Carpentras, southern France, two children aged two and four were found dead inside a family car on Monday.
Records fall as heat dome settles over Europe
France recorded its hottest June day on record, with an average temperature of 29.8°C, and its hottest night at a minimum average of 21.6°C . More than half the country is on red alert, with Météo-France warning of “exceptionally high temperatures, both day and night” that could have a “strong health impact”.Forecasters expect Paris to hit 40°C this week, with parts of central France seeing 43°C . The current heatwave is the second in about a month, after record-breaking temperatures in May.
यूरोप के ज्यादातर देशों में चल रही जानलेवा लू।
Meteorologists attribute the extreme conditions to a “heat dome”, a strong area of high pressure that traps hot air, blocking weather fronts and allowing temperatures to build day after day . Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute described the phenomenon as “the lid of a saucepan,” adding: “It has never been this hot, for so long, this early in the year”.
Key developments across Europe:
Eiffel Tower: Closed early at 4pm on Tuesday and expected to do so again on WednesdayLouvre: Bringing forward closing time to 4pm from Wednesday to SaturdayNuclear plant: Golfech in southwestern France shut down because river water reached 28°C, the legal limit for coolingSchools: 845 schools closed on Monday, with another 1,800 allowing early dismissalSpain: Red alerts in Andalusia, Cantabria and Basque Country; temperatures could top 44°CUK: Met Office issued rare red warning for extreme heat, indicating risk to lifeItaly: Red alerts in 15 cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin and VeniceGermany: Six fatal swimming incidents reported; Lifesaving Association warns men overestimate their abilitiesNetherlands: Code Orange alert issuedBelgium: National heat plan activated for only the second time
