June 23, 2026
Around 20 people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas in France since the weekend, authorities said on Tuesday, as people tried to escape a heatwave sweeping across large parts of Europe.
Much of France was set to experience temperatures around 40C on Tuesday, forecaster MeteoFrance said.
"There have been around 20 deaths since last weekend," French sports minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio.
"To go swimming in unauthorised areas, during a heatwave, is not something to take lightly," she added.
