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PARIS: Two children were found dead in a car in France on Monday as much of Europe sweltered through record high temperatures and national authorities launched urgent measures to reduce the impact.
The children, aged two and four, were found in their family car in a residential parking lot in the southern town of Carpentras, where investigators said they believed the heatwave was the most likely reason for the deaths.
Thirteen people drowned in France on Sunday and overnight into Monday as people sought relief from the heat, a spokesperson for the Civil Safety service said, and three elderly people died as a result of the extreme temperatures in the country.
The latest heatwave to hit Europe has seen outdoor events cancelled, transport disrupted, schools shut and office workers told to work from home, as the authorities issued health alerts to protect the elderly and vulnerable.
